Sharp to abandon Wales solar panel ops in Feb

Dec 17, 2013 - Japanese electronics major Sharp Corp (TYO:6753) will cease solar panel manufacturing at its plant in Wrexham, Wales in February and lay off 250 workers, it said Monday.

The company will also not renew agency workers' contracts, estimated at some 365. It defined the move as unavoidable as the output of the Llay factory was uncompetitive after the significant declines in solar product prices in Europe.

Sharp has been making solar panels at the Wrexham plant since 2004. In 2013 most of the panels there went to Japan in line with the company's increased focus on the domestic solar market. However, Sharp will outsource PV panel production for the Japanese market from next year, Hiroshi Sasaoka, chairman of Sharp Middle East, said.

The Japanese company will continue to make microwave ovens at the plant in Wales and intends to develop other products, Sasaoka added. It will leave a total of 140 people employed at the non-solar product segment there, according to a BBC report.

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