Asahi Glass Co. Cuts Solar Glass Production Facility in China

Asahi Glass Co. plans to convert one of its solar glass factories in China into an automotive production facility, citing intense investment by Chinese firms further driving down prices,according to an Oct. 14 PV Tech report.AGC closed a photovoltaic glass plant in the United States and shut a facility producing raw glass for the PV market in the Philippines in 2012, according to the report.“Profitability of the photovoltaic cover glass business is deteriorating as the situation of lower prices for such glass has not been improved, hurt by excessive supply,” according to a company statement. The transformation of the factory, which will cost $45.8 million, will be carried out gradually from now until the first quarter of 2015.