BP Opens Solar Factory in California

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

BRITISH PETROLEUM OPENS SOLAR FACTORY IN CALIFORNIA BUT
CONTINUES AGGRESSIVE EXPLORATION FOR NEW OIL

London, 30 Jan 97 - Responding to the news today that BP will
open a $20 million 10 Megawatt (MW) solar factory in Fairfield,
California and will expand its existing solar factory in Spain,
Greenpeace Campaigner Marcus Rand said: "Having recognised that
solar is the way forward, BP should now stop searching for new
oil reserves. Only this switch from fossil fuels to renewable
energy sources will prevent dangerous climate change. BP's focus
should be on solar to make it as cheap and accessible as fossil
fuel. One factory is a step forward but a very small one, we
need new solar factories throughout the world, starting in
Britain." 

BP Solar is the fourth largest solar company in the world with
sales of some $80 million a year.  The opening by
BP of the new Fairfield factory follows an announcement
by Shell last year to invest $30 million into what will
be the world's largest solar factory in Germany. 

BP's $20 million investment into the new US solar factory
represents just 1% of BP's investments into new oil exploration
which topped $2 billion US dollars in 1996. The solar factory
investment represents less than half a per cent of BP's annual
profits in 1996. To date BP has invested $120 million into BP
Solar.

Rand added, "In the past year, BP has recognised that climate
change and the burning of fossil fuels is a serious problem. Now
it must make a real and substantial shift in its operations by
switching investments from fossil fuels which cause climate
change to the rapid development of solar and other renewables
such as offshore wind energy".

Greenpeace has campaigned against new BP oil developments in the
North East Atlantic (off the West Coast of Scotland) and off the
coast of Alaska on the grounds that in order to avert dangerous
climate change only approximately 25 percent of known fossil
fuel reserves ultimately can be burnt.

Notes to correspondents: A copy of the Greenpeace oil and Solar
Briefing available on request.

1.   The global market for solar under a 'Business as Usual'
growth of 20% per year is expected to be worth some $10 billion
by 2010. BP have stated they aim to capture 10% of this market
with annual sales of $1 billion a year.

2.   The latest industry survey shows that at least some 260MW
worth of new solar factories will be completed in the next two
years in Japan, USA, Germany, Australia and France.

3. Only one solar company, Intersolar, manufactures in the UK.
Only 1% of solar panels manufactured world-wide are made in the
UK.

Greenpeace on the Internet at http://www.greenpeace.org