Elkem Solar AS (Kristiansand, Norway) has announced that it will temporarily stop production of solar-grade polysilicon at its facility in Kristiansand, Norway, temporarily laying off the plant's workforce.

The company states that the extent of the temporary layoffs will be clarified in the next few weeks. Elkem will use the period of shutdown to implement improvement projects to better position the facility to compete in the future.

"I understand that this may cause concern among our employees, but Elkem Solar in Kristiansand will continue to play an important role in the solar industry," states Elkem Solar Senior VP Trond Sæterstad.

"There is a large overcapacity in the solar sector and the market is in a phase of consolidation, adjusting production to demand. The market for solar power will continue to grow in the future and Elkem Solar has a technology that provides us with a significant competitive advantage over other manufacturers."

Workers to be employed in other facilities

Elkem Solar also notes that it has established a system for temporary employment of workers from the Kristiansand plant in Elkem and and parent company China National Bluestar Group Company Ltd.'s (Beijing, China) units both in Norway and abroad.

Employee representatives note that they are working closely with management to find solutions for as many employees as possible.

The Kristiansand facility has 225 employees, and an annual output of 6,000 metric tons of polysilicon.

2012-09-24 | Courtesy: Elkem Solar | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH

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