Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Robert Bosch to set up plant in Batu Kawan - The Star

Thursday June 23, 2011

Robert Bosch to set up solar panel manufacturing facility in Penang

By FINTAN NG
fintan@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Stuttgart-based technology company Robert Bosch GmbH is investing RM2.2bil in a solar panel manufacturing plant in Batu Kawan, Penang, to mainly serve Asia 's growing demand for solar energy.

The new plant would provide employment opportunities for 2,000 people, which would be an increase of some 40% of Robert Bosch's current workforce in the country, said Robert Bosch solar energy division head andBosch Solar Energy AG chairman, Holger von Hebel.

He said this at a briefing yesterday following the announcement of the company's results for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2010 (FY10).

The investment comes on the heels of a recent announcement to build another manufacturing facility in Venissieux , France , to serve the southern European markets.

Von Hebel said construction of the Batu Kawan plant, to be located on an 80-acre site, would begin before the end of this year, with production to start by the end of 2013.

He said the new plant would also support and deliver components to other plants in North America and Europe .

The venture, said to be one of the largest overseas investment ever made by Robert Bosch, would further cement the global strategy of the company's photovoltaics business and presence in Asia , where solar energy demand is expected to see an average annual growth of 30% in the coming years.

“The planned facility will cover the entire value-added chain, from silicon crystals known as ingots and solar cells to the modules which can be installed on roofs or in solar power plants,” von Hebel said.

He said the plant would have an annual capacity of 800 megawatts peak (MWp) for wafers and 620MWp peak for cells. This would be on top of producing solar power plants with a total output of 640MWp and module production lines of 150MWp.

According to von Hebel, the company expect sales from the solar energy division to exceed one billion euros this year.

“The decision to build a new site in Asia reflects general developments in the global market for photovoltaics. By 2020, total installed output in the region is expected to reach some 130 gigawatts peak,” he said.

He added that the company's main plant in Arnstadt , Germany , together with the Batu Kawan plant would complement each other and help secure the future of the photovoltaics business.

Robert Bosch (SEA) Pte Ltd and Robert Bosch Sdn Bhd managing director Martin Hayes said South-East Asia contributed RM2.07bil in sales turnover for FY10, with Malaysia contributing RM555mil, a 37% increase from FY09.

“Last year saw an outstanding performance for the region coming after the recession,” he said, adding that Malaysia was the second-largest contributor to Robert Bosch's sales in South-East Asia .

Dental Hospital for Batu Kawan ? - The Star

Wednesday April 20, 2011

Dental hospital mooted

THE Penang International Dental College (PIDC) has been invited to set up a dental hospital in Batu Kawan in South Seberang Prai, Penang .

Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy said the five-year-old college, which was planning to offer Master’s programmes in dentistry, should consider the viability of opening a hospital there.

“Batu Kawan is fast developing as a commercial and residential hub.

“The area will be bustling in the near future when the Second Penang Bridge linking Batu Kawan and Batu Maung on the island is completed by 2013,” he said.

He was attending the college’s inaugural graduation ceremony at E&O Hotel in George Town recently.

Ramasamy said he hoped the college, which is located in Butterworth, would continue offering courses at affordable fees to encourage more to take up its 2+3 twinning bachelor’s degree in dentistry programme.

PIDC chief operating officer and managing director Datuk Dr S. Sharavanan said the college would liaise with the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) to look into Ramasamy’s pro-posal.

He said the college had, in February, applied to the Edu- cation Ministry to start nine Master’s specialty courses.

“On obtaining the necessary approval, we hope to emerge as the first private dental college in Malaysia to offer postgrad-uate studies.

“Many dentists are keen on pursuing Master’s programmes to branch into specialised areas,” he said.

A total of 17 students from the pioneering batch received their scrolls from Dr Sharavanan.

Dr Stephanie Chong Mei Har, 25, who received a gold medal award, said she chose dentistry as it gave her a sense of self- satisfaction to serve people.

Dr Kong Sheng Earn, 23, who won a silver medal, said one of the hardest tasks he learnt as a dentist was to make patients, especially children, feel calm during treatment.

Dr Ngo Wei Ming, 25, won the bronze medal.

Update of Second Penang Bridge - The Star

Tuesday April 19, 2011

Concessionaire: Second bridge will be completed by November 2013

By JOSEPHINE JALLEH
josephine@thestar.com.my
Photos by WAN MOHIZAN WAN HUSSEIN

THE second Penang Bridge is 47.55% completed as of March.

Looming in the horizon: A view of the work in progress on the second bridge linking Batu Kawan and Batu Maung in Penang

The project is however 2.85% behind the 50.4% scheduled progress.

State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said concession holder Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB) had assured the state government that it would catch up with the scheduled completion of the 24km bridge slated for November 2013.

Workers building a scaffolding for the bridge

Construction works on the bridge started in late November 2008.

Lim also said over 700 workers were working round the clock at the United Engineers Malaysia (UEM) segmental box girder plant in Batu Kawan to produce 8,092 units of segmental box girders for the bridge.

“They have already moulded 987 units. A total of 28 units are already fixed on-site out in the sea with 14 of them on each side of the bridge.

Completed segmental box girders stored at the plant in Batu Kawan

“Besides that, piling works are 84% completed while the building of pile caps and columns are 55% and 45% completed respectively,” he said during a visit to the plant yesterday.

Lim added that the two toll plaza buildings, to be located in Batu Kawan, were still on the design board.

Latest update: (from right) Anuar briefing the visitors including assemblyman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and Lim at the segmental box girder plant in Batu Kawan

“We will also implement a green concept for the package to be environmental friendly,” he added.

Buildcast Sdn Bhd (a wholly-owned subsidiary of UEM Builders Bhd) production manager Anuar Abdul said there were 22 moulds and three factories at the segment casting plant.

“Between 12 and 14 pieces of segmental box girders are produced in a day and the process is a tedious one,” he said.

The RM4.5bil second bridge project comprises three main packages — construction of the sub-structure by CHEC Construction Sdn Bhd (the local arm of China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd), casting of the segmental box girder by UEM Builders Bhd, and construction of the Batu Kawan and Batu Maung exit and entry points and trumpet interchange by Cergas Murni, IJM Construction and HRA Teguh.

The bridge, which will link Batu Kawan in Seberang Prai to Batu Maung on Penang island, is poised to be the longest bridge in the country and Southeast Asia .