Feeling the pinch of the silicon shortage for solar manufacturing, the 15 MW SCHOTT Solar plant in Billerica, Massachusetts, which makes solar wafer and modules, gave notice to employees that the the facility may have to close within 60 days due to lack of silicon supplies.
Schott plans to continue solar production at its Roseville, California headquarters and plans to continue importing modules into the U.S. from its European facilities.
Like many other companies, Schott is scaling back operations because of the silicon shortage. Analysts expect the shortage to finally be alleviated in 2008.
SCHOTT says its four European plants are also not running up to capacity, but because the Massachusetts plant is the company’s oldest and least efficient, it faces closure. The plant would be sold to another solar company that has silicon supplies locked in.
SCHOTT recently announced plans to open a second manufacturing facility for solar receivers in Spain, doubling its solar receiver production capacity.
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