Speech at the SPA Signing Ceremony Between Bosch Solar Energy Malaysia and Penang Development Corporation

On June 24, last year, we added another milestone to Penang’s achievements when Bosch Solar announced their decision to invest in a fully integrated crystalline photovoltaic plant at Batu Kawan. Today’s signing ceremony of the sales & purchase agreement with Penang Development Corporation denotes Bosch’s commitment to its investments in a PV plant in Penang.

Bosch Solar’s 520 million euro (approximately RM2.2 billion) investment in Penang is expected to generate 2000 new jobs in various aspects of crystalline PV production. The Penang facility is envisaged to grow by 30% in the coming years as the facility will adopt and implement state-of-the-art cell technologies coupled with enhanced production processes.

Data by GTM Research, a US-based media company providing market analysis on green technology indicates that China and Taiwan accounts for 59% of the cell production followed by Europe (13%), Japan (9%) and North America (5%). The remaining 14% are from the rest of the world, comprising mainly Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia. In 2010, the Malaysia Photovoltaic Industry Association claimed that Malaysia is the fourth largest PV producer in the world. With Bosch joining the existing PV producers in the country by 2014, Malaysia’s aspiration to the second largest PV producer in the world after China by 2020 could become a reality.

Between the year 2000 and 2010, annual PV production has grown nearly 100 folds from a mere 277 Mw to 24,000 Mw. The year 2010 was also a record year for newly installed PV as 16,600 Mw were installed in more than 100 countries.

Robert Bosch has been in Penang for the past 40 years and is still expanding today. We are pleased that Bosch has chosen Penang for its solar energy venture after it has initially explored and analysed forty-five (45) sites in twenty-three (23) countries. In Malaysia itself, Bosch evaluated over 10 sites.

Why Bosch chose Penang over all other sites is due to the investment climate which is business-friendly, availability of a deep pool of human talent, an efficient supply chain management, an effective logistics hub, good governance that ensures delivery, a competent training center of excellence for research & development and building scientists and engineers, a livable city that embraces art, culture and heritage as well as a sustainable eco-system where green initiatives and healthy living is the preferred lifestyle.

All these reasons combine to make Penang top in investment for the first time in 2010 with RM 12.2 billion and surprisingly repeated again as champion in 2011 with RM 9.1 billion.

I am positive that Penang’s drive toward green technology will be further enhanced with Bosch’s commitment in setting up a fully integrated crystalline PV production plant in Penang. Last but not least, I would like to thank Bosch for making the right choice in deciding on Penang to apply its new and innovative cell technologies with the aim to thrive in a highly competitive market.

Thank you.

–重点翻译–
槟州首席部长林冠英于2012年2月29日，在见证博世（BOSCH）马来西亚太阳能厂及槟州发展机构签署买卖合约时发表演讲，重点如下：

博世太阳能厂在槟城投资5亿2000万欧元（约22亿令吉），预料能制造2000个光伏生产方面的就业机会。槟州的工厂在接下来几年将成长30%，并采纳及推行高科技太阳能电板工艺及生产过程。

根据GTM研究，美国媒体公司的绿色科技市场分析指出，中国及台湾的太阳能光伏生产占了59%，欧洲13%，日本9%， 北美5%，其余的14%来自世界各国包括新加坡、菲律宾及马来西亚。在2010年，马来西亚光伏工业协会声称马来西亚是世界第四大太阳能光伏生产国。随着博世在2014年加入，马来西亚可能在2020年成为中国之后第二大太阳能光伏生产国。

在2000年至2010年间，太阳能光伏的产量几乎增加100倍，从277兆瓦特增加至2万4000兆瓦特。2010年全球100多个国家共按装了1万6600兆瓦特的太阳能光伏。

博世在槟城拥有40年的经验，至今还在扩张。我们很荣幸，博世在23个国家45个地区中，最终选择槟城成为太阳能光伏的生产基地。在马来西亚，博世考查了超过10个地区。

为什么博世选择槟城？这是因为它的投资气候是经商友善、拥有许多人才、有效的供应链、高效力的物流中心、良好施政确保传递系统、卓越的研究中心、培育科学家和工程师，一个拥抱艺术、文化及古迹的宜居城市，以及推广绿色及健康生活的永续环境系统。
上述原因都让槟城分别在2010年及2011年，在招商引资方面获得价值122亿令吉及91亿令吉的投资项目，全国居冠。