Sustainable solar cell factory in Singapore designed by C. F. Møller Architects

3.12.2007

The Norwegian solar energy company REC (Renewable Energy Corporation) has chosen C. F. Møller Architects, in co-operation with Norconsult consultant engineers, to design the world's largest solar cell factory in Singapore - a project worth EUR 3 billion.

"We are incredibly proud of being chosen for the project, because it is very important for C. F. Møller Architects to help to develop sustainable technology. Environmental awareness and resource consciousness are significant elements in our current and future work, and we integrate this holistic view into our projects. We are looking forward to applying this experience to other tasks," says Lars Kirkegaard, partner in CFM. C. F. Møller Architects launched its environmentally-friendly project conceptualisation in 2006, as one of the first Danish architectural practices to do so, and the company has been producing designs for the wind turbine industry, etc., since the 1990s. Green Mark The decision by the Norwegian company to locate the factory in Singapore was the result of nine months of research into more than 200 possible locations. For REC, the country represents an ideal balance between finances, risks and future opportunities. Singapore aims to focus a great deal on sustainable energy in the future, and Ko Kheng Hwa, head of the Singapore Economic Development Board, describes the factory as the start of this campaign. The aim is for the factory building to become a so-called "Green Mark" development. Green Mark is a points system in which construction developments are awarded points for being extra environmentally-friendly in a wide range of areas. This applies both to the physical building and to how the building is used, and how energy is saved and recycled. The total number of points gives an indication of the overall environmental friendliness of the development. In Singapore, Green Mark developments are supported by state subsidies. Several stages The factory will be realised in several stages. The stage in which C. F. Møller Architects will be involved as consultants covers 80,000 m2, and in all, a total of 300,000 m2 will be constructed from 2008 - 2015. The overall concept for the factory is already on the drawing-board, and the preliminary engineering work is expected to be completed by the summer of 2008, with completion of the project in 2010. The green field site for the factory is located in Tuas View, approximately 30 minutes from Singapore city centre. The factory will produce solar cells, modules and silicon wafers. It will employ around 3,000 people, and at full capacity it will annually produce modules which, together, will generate 1.5 gigawatts of power.