URE aims to build more than half of nation’s solar units

Uited Renewable Energy Co (URE, 聯合再生) plans to build more than half of the nation’s solar panel modules this year, the company said yesterday.

In a statement, the nation’s biggest solar module supplier said that it has secured new government solar farm projects through open bidding.

The firm said it has secured module supply contracts for a 120 megawatt (MW) aquaculture/solar project in Tainan, a 100MW project on sunken land in Pingtung County and a 70MW project on an island off Yunlin County.
After missing the quota for increased solar capacity last year by 0.68 gigawatts (GW), the government’s new goal for new added solar capacity is 2GW.

“URE has already closed several leading projects and looks to secure 50 percent of the government’s current open project bids,” the company said in a statement yesterday.

To cope with rising demand, the company said it plans to add more than 500MW of solar module capacity this year.

URE last year seized a 40 percent share of the nation’s 1.5GW solar power market, which has helped boost its consolidated revenue to NT$12.5 billion (US$441.1 million), more than twice that of its closest rival, Taiwan Solar Energy Corp (TSEC, 元晶太陽能), it said.

URE supplied solar modules used in an operation in Tainan’s Cigu District (七股), which has an installed capacity of 195MW, making it the biggest solar project in Taiwan. Its solar modules are also used in solar projects in Pingtung, Yunlin and Chiayi counties, it said.

In addition to power generation performance, URE developed photovoltaic panels to withstand uniquely challenging conditions, the company said.

“We had to come up with products that are extremely salt-resistant and suitable for challenging conditions such as salt fields and aquaculture/solar projects,” it said, adding that it is working with the Industrial Technology Research Institute to ensure its panels do not leak toxins.

Source: taipeitimes