January 15, 2008, Santa Fe, NM--SCHOTT AG of Mainz, Germany and Governor Bill Richardson (D--NM) announced that SCHOTT Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of SCHOTT AG, will construct a new solar-energy technology production facility in the Mesa del Sol region of Albuquerque, NM.
Initially, the production site will manufacture receivers for concentrated solar thermal power plants and 64 MW of photovoltaic (PV) modules. SCHOTT will construct a 200,000 square-foot facility, which is expected to begin production in 2009 and immediately create 350 jobs. The investment in New Mexico by SCHOTT Solar will be on the order of $100 million. Long-term plans call for the building to expand to 800,000 square feet with 1,500 employees, representing a total investment of $500 million.
The location of the new facility, Mesa del Sol, a developing mixed-use community south of Albuquerque, was selected as a result of local and state officials' commitment to attracting high-quality cleantech jobs to the region. Additionally, the location provides geographical proximity to the key solar PV module and CSP markets of the Southwestern United States, as well as close contact to one of the leading research centers for solar energy in the world, the Sandia National Laboratories.
"SCHOTT Solar's decision to create clean-tech jobs in New Mexico demonstrates that our State is at the forefront of the clean energy revolution," said Governor Bill Richardson.
For more information, visit www.us.schott.com.