Is the Turn-key Solution the Best Approach for Multi Gigawatt Production?
• Klaus Eberhardt, Applied Materials • Robert Gattereder, Oerlikon • Hartmut Gross, Centrotherm • Claus Kuhn, ManzIt was agreed that we should not talk of multi-gigawatt but to find the optimal size of a production facility. And it should be taken into account that multi-gigawatt production does not refer necessarily to a single site. It was mentioned that 300-400MW would be an optimal size. Besides the different opinions, it seems that turn-key solutions represent a lower barrier for entering the business in terms of knowledge, and in some cases represents lower risks and helps to accelerate the ramp-up. Nowadays, with the fast industry growth, this seems to be of vital importance if anyone wants to enter into the market and be competitive. As an example, a successful company such as First Solar needed (took?) 8 years and 140M€ to ramp-up. This length of time seems to be too long for newcomers if they want to rapidly take part in the market. Regarding the need for turn-key solutions,
