NSG has announced that it has reached agreement with its local partner Shanghai Yaohua Pilkington Glass (SYP) to start production of the group’s NSG TEC solar energy products in China, to meet the rapidly increasing demands of the Chinese thin film solar energy industry.

The NSG/SYP joint venture facility in Changshu already uses NSG proprietary online coating technology to manufacture Pilkington Energy Advantage, specialist energy-saving coated products for the Chinese market. This technology will now be upgraded for the manufacture of NSG TEC products, with shipments from Changshu expected to begin in January 2012.

NSG currently supplies many Chinese thin film solar energy customers from Japan and the USA. The Chinese manufacturing capability will be gradually developed to enable local supply to the Chinese market. The company expects to increase capacity further in China, with more coating projects under development in response to growing customer demands.

Craig Naylor, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), says: “Consistent with our strategic management plan, we are building on our successful partnership with SYP, and further extending the scope of our Changshu joint venture.”

“SYP will now focus on the thin film solar energy sector, in addition to making energy-saving products for the mainstream building products industry. We believe that the Chinese thin film solar sector has high growth potential and we already have strong links with the major Chinese thin film customers,” he added.