OREANDA-NEWS. July 08, 2011. An innovative photovoltaic panels factory run by 3Sun, the equal joint venture between Enel Green Power, Sharp and STMicroelectronics, was inaugurated today in Catania.

 The inauguration was attended by Undersecretary of State for Economic Development Stefano Saglia, president of Sicily Region Raffaele Lombardo, president of Catania Province Giuseppe Castiglione, and mayor of Catania Raffaele Stancanelli.

 In addition to government representatives, the opening ceremony was attended by Enel Chairman Paolo Andrea Colombo, Sharp Corporation president Katsuhiko Machida, Representative Director and Executive Vice-President Toshishige Hamano, STMicroelectronics president and CEO Carlo Bozotti, Enel Green Power CEO Francesco Starace, and 3Sun president Andrea Cuomo, and 3Sun CEO Mauro Curiale.

 The plant will manufacture integrated multi-junction, thin-film photovoltaic cells and modules. With an initial solar panel production capacity of 160 MW per year, which could be increased to an annual 480 MW over the next few years, the plant is already the largest solar panel factory in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. The factory output is intended to meet the demand of solar power markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), using both projects under development and the sales networks of Enel and Sharp.