3M to Expand Solar Manufacturing in China

In conjunction with the Hefei High-tech Industrial Development Area, 3M has announced its plan to build a manufacturing site for photovoltaic solar materials and renewable energy products.

The new plant, 3M Materials Technologies (Hefei) Co., will provide a variety of products, including the proprietary Scotchshield Film, an advanced solar backside barrier used in crystalline silicon solar photovoltaic modules. The project will mark 3M’s ninth manufacturing facility in China. Groundbreaking for the two-phased construction is set for the second quarter of 2011.

The Hefei industrial development area was founded in 1991 and is one of the first national new-energy high-tech industrial development areas approved by China’s state council.

3M established operations in China in 1984, and its businesses there include manufacturing, technical services and R&D facilities.

For more information, visit: www.3m.com