JOHANNA SOLAR



		8.2% In May 2006, VenFin invested €3.17 million in Johanna Solar Technology GbmH (Johanna Solar), a new company committed to building a 30 MW solar cell plant in Germany. The factory is currently being built in the federal state of Brandenburg, which offers lucrative financial incentives and subsidies from the local government and a strong solar research and development environment. The commissioning of the factory is planned for September 2007.

Johanna Solar will use a CIGSSe (copper indium gallium sulphide selenium)-based silicon-free technology, developed by the Johannesburg University and Professor Vivian Alberts. Johanna Solar has entered into a global (excluding Africa) manufacturing licence agreement with the university, allowing the company to sell sublicences outside Africa.

The benefits for the CIGSSe technology are similar to other thin-film technologies. The licensor of Johanna Solar believes it has a higher conversion efficiency of sunlight to electricity compared to most other thinfilm technologies.

VenFin is also one of three promoters of a current feasibility study for a PV manufacturing facility in South Africa based on the same technology used by Johanna Solar. Should this study prove successful, construction of such a plant may commence in 2008.