LG Electronics (066570.KS), a leader in consumer electronics, has
decided to convert its A1 plasma TV panel-manufacturing line in Gumi,
Korea, into solar cell production lines, the company announced.
LG said it will invest 220 billion won ($168 million) by 2010 to
establish two production lines, which will begin mass production in
1Q10 and 1Q11.
Both lines will manufacture crystalline silicon solar cells and modules with a capacity of 120 megawatts (MW) each.
Reuters reported that LG shut down one of its three plasma display
panel (PDP) lines in 2007 as the business struggles with falling TV
screen prices and competition with liquid crystal displays.
"Leveraging LG’s cumulative R&D knowledge in various photovoltaic
technologies for the last three years as well as our mass manufacturing
expertise will allow us to quickly become a global player in the solar
cell and module manufacturing business," said Kwan Shik Cho, head of
the Solar Cell Business Team at LG Electronics.
LG currently operates a solar cell business team under its chief
technical officer (CTO). The company has also progressively accumulated
R&D knowledge to further expand its business into the solar energy
industry as a new growth engine. As a part of this strategy, LG
Electronics acquired solar cell business by transfer from its sister
company, LG Chem Ltd., in June 2008.
In September 2008, LG and Conergy AG (CGY.DE) signed a memorandum
of understanding to form a joint venture in the solar module
manufacturing business. Under the agreement, LG would acquire a 75%
stake in Conergy’s solar module plant in Frankfurt (Oder), and Conergy
would retain 25%.
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Only the kind of economic sdlwoown associated with an extreme depression could have any chance of avoiding 2c2b0C of global warming by around 2040. Even limiting the warming to 4c2b0C would be difficult, and a 4c2b0C future is incompatible with an organized global community, is likely to be beyond adaptation’, is devastating to the majority of ecosystems, and has a high probability of not being stable. ( Kevin Anderson, a professor of energy and climate change who was, until recently, director of the U.K.’s leading climate research institution, the Tyndall Energy Program). The part about a high probability of not being stable means that so many positive feedbacks will have kicked in by then, that further substantial warming will take place regardless of what we do. That spells disaster for global human civilisation and most other species.