The shortage in ultra-white (low iron) owing to the immense growth of solar industry persuaded SolarGlas AG from Munich to start erection of a specialized float glass plant for the production of special low-iron glass. After an extensive production site analysis, decision was made pro Forst in Brandenburg. The crucial points were the vicinity to a large part of German solar module producers, the great commitment of the municipality with its mayor Jürgen Goldschmidt, the sound conditions for grants in Brandendurg as well as the constructive project monitoring by ZukunftsAgentur Brandenburg.

With the construction of this furnace with a daily output of up to 500 tons (annual production of about 15 - 18 million square meters) the company is crossing borders into terra incognita. It is the first time that a concept of a so-called "dual-furnace" is realised for the production of structured cast glass (for conventional silica modules) and also of flat glass for thin film solar thermal modules.

A world novelty is also the operation of the furnace with an oxygen-gas mixture. This saves about 25% of the expensive natural gas while reducing the emissions by about 50%, at the same time. This furnace therefore is classified as environmentally friendly and rightly so! Technology partners of SolarGlas AG, besides the expert engineering company DTEC in Gelsenkirchen, are solely well reputed German companies with huge experience in the glass industry. The oxygen supply as well as the special know-how for the burner technology is provided by Linde Group. Süddeutsche Leasing GmbH in Ulm which is specialised in finance leasing of large industrial production lines backs the funding.

The amount of investment including all up- and downstream production steps will come up to more than 60 million Euro and create about 120 new jobs in an otherwise economically underdeveloped area. First glass output is scheduled for June 2009. Customers mainly are the numerous solar glass producers in the region within a radius of about 150 km around Forst. At the moment, first talks for long-term delivery contracts are being held and first deals are in preparation.