Intel Capital to invest $20 mln in solar venture
Tuesday October 28, 2008
China's renewable energy industry is growing quickly, as the country attempts to shift away from heavily polluting coal and oil-fired power generation to cleaner, more efficient energy sources.
Intel Capital on Tuesday announced its first "clean-tech" initiative of $ 20 mln. in China, a $20 million equity investment in Trony Solar Holdings Co. Trony, set up in 1993, is one of China's biggest makers of solar energy and wind power equipment, with sales in more than 20 countries. Intel's investment, its first in clean technologies in China, will be used by Trony to enhance its production and research and development, the Chinese company, based in the southern export hub of Shenzhen. The two companies did not provide details on the size of Intel Capital's equity stake or other terms of the investment.
"Investing in 'clean-tech' is relatively new for Intel Capital," said Stephen Eichenlaub, Intel Capital's managing director, but "Clean technology area will take on a large strategic significance for Intel's future". It's not a question of surging oil prices but of long-term sustainability, Eichenlaub said. Intel Capital, a unit of computer chip maker Intel Corp., has made six investments in clean technology in the past year, including these ones. "Our challenge as investors is to find technologies where we should be supporting innovation where the price of oil doesn't matter, because we can't control it," he said.
In addition to its investment in Trony, Intel Capital also announced plans to invest in NPH Holdings Ltd., a Chinese company specializing in electricity storage systems for renewable energy. But no details were provided.
Intel Capital established a $500 million Intel Capital China Technology Fund II in April. That followed its first fund of $200 million. Intel refused to disclose the returns they earned on the first fund, but said its performance provides a benchmark for the larger second fund.
Associated Press researcher Bonnie Cao contributed to this report.
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