The facility was built 20 percent below budget. Initially volumes of 740 MW for wafers, 550 MW for cells, and 590 MW for modules were announced. The new capacity target for modules is 800 MW in 2012, representing an increase of 35% compared to the design capacity.
The production costs for the facility are less than earlier REC plants, targeting a full cost of 97 Euro cents per watt by the end of 2011 including research and development and sales and marketing costs. Research and product development, supply chain, operations, quality control, logistics and customer support are made more efficient through integration.
The one millionth module is part of the REC Peak Energy Series which is the first product manufactured at Tuas. The module delivers more power per square meter due to several design improvements, resulting in approximately seven percent improved energy output. The facility produces more than 190,000 modules per month with a competitive cell efficiency target of 16.8 percent by 2011, an improvement over earlier production. The REC Peak Energy Series is already installed in more than twelve countries. The modules produced in 2011 at the new REC facility could throughout their lifetime offset 25 million tons of CO2 from coal fired power plants or produce enough electricity to meet the yearly energy needs of 150,000 Singaporean households.
This is the second world class project the company has completed in 2010, with a new silicon production facility recently opening in the US. Already a leading producer of silicon and wafers, REC is positioned to become a key player in modules aspiring to a top ten position.