Initial plans include investments of more than $500 million over the next four years. The factory will be built out to over 100 MW annually with over 4,240 direct employees. The company has secured a top-tier customer for a 10-megawatt (MW) solar farm and will break ground on a new factory at Silicon Border CleanTECH Park later this year. The factory will be outfitted by Arima with a turnkey Concentrated Photovoltaic Solar manufacturing equipment line to manufacture cells, modules and dual axis tracking systems. The Mexican employees will be trained in the Arima Eco factory in Taiwan. The total supply chain will ultimately create more than 8,000 jobs for the Baja California/San Diego Mega Region.
As an integrated Concentrated Photovoltaic Enterprise, Baja Sun Energy will also be able to provide the lowest-cost solar energy solution for North America. With manufacturing plants on the Border of Baja California, Baja Sun will also establish sales and marketing operations in San Diego, California. Arima Eco, Grupo Maiz (Monterrey Mexico) and Silicon Border will own the new Company.
“Silicon Border CleanTECH Park is the perfect location for renewable energy companies. We are at the center of a huge market for solar, wind and other kinds of renewables, including the energy warehousing project we recently announced,” said DJ Hill, CEO of Silicon Border. “From our park you can reach most of the western United States in less than a day by truck. Talent and tax incentives make this location very competitive to China. Furthermore, products made here can be used for stimulus projects such as ‘Buy American’ because of the NAFTA treaty. We also have green infrastructure including water, waste treatment and LED lighting, more eco-friendly than anywhere else in North America.”
“The time is right for a Mexican solar company,” said Governor Osuna. “Mexico has more sunshine per capita than most countries in the world, and it is only fitting that we start a Mexican company to capture the sun for our own use in the State of Baja California. The solar market is expected to grow from the currently installed 2.1 GW at the end of 2009 (according to the Solar Energy Industries Association) to 44 GW by 2020 in North America over the next 10 years. Mexico can be one of the world’s largest players in this process given our cost and location advantages.”
Arima Group Chairman Steven Lee said, “We are very optimistic about this new venture that will expand our product reach to the Americas while we cover Asia and the rest of the world. While we are confident that the experienced team of Baja Sun can do the job with our support, we find that the Government support for this project and Arima Eco ensures the success of this exciting project. In our travels to Mexico we were greeted by the Governor himself on our first trip to Mexico. Here he is today to help close the deal! We also had great support from the Mayor of Mexicali and the Federal Government’s ProMexico Organization, from the local Commissioner of Trade here in Taiwan to the Director General himself. Mexico has really supported our decision!”
The first integrated solar company located in Mexico, Baja Sun Energy plans to build a solar module manufacturing plant and use the panels produced for a utility-sized solar generation facility. The factory will ultimately have 100 MW capacity, as well as a 150 MW utility scale solar power plant. The balance of the capacity will be sold to both users and utility companies in Mexico and the U.S. The company will be located in the Silicon Border Science Park in Mexicali, Mexico.
Arima EcoEnergy is located in Yingtao Road, Ying-Ge, New Taipei 239, Taiwan. Arima EcoEnergy evolved from the parent company Grupo Arima founded in Taiwan in 1989. The company has a successful history in Computers, Communications such as Smart Phones, Displays, Optoelectronics including LED Lighting and Solar Optics. Arima EcoEnergy is totally focused on Concentrated Photovoltaic Module Systems including three-dimensional tracking systems.
Silicon Border is a 2,000-hectare “CleanTECH Park” catering to the specialized needs of the renewable energy sector including wind, solar, algae harvesting and smart grid companies looking for factory sites and energy generation sites. It is strategically located at the cross roads of the power grids of the United States and Mexico. Its location enables companies here to be a cost-competitive with Asia. The inclusion of the State University (UABC) Campus and collaboration with UC San Diego ensures the location’s human resource needs are met.
