Golden Son to make CPU, solar bulbs
Friday, 16 April 2010
Kayes M Sohel
Bangladesh-Taiwan joint venture, Golden Son Limited (GSL), Thursday announced plans to produce solar bulbs, making it the first listed company to embark into the country's fast-booming renewable energy sector.
Managing director Belal Ahmad said his five-year-old company would also manufacture Central Processing Unit (CPU) of computers in its new plants to be set up by June this year.
"We shall start production of solar-powered green bulb in August and CPU in September," he told the FE, adding that the company has already notified the securities regulator about the planned expansion.
Shares in the company gained more than four per cent to Tk 83 Thursday after the Dhaka Stock Exchange website revealed Golden Son's ambitious new drive.
The company will produce one million solar bulbs a year and 0.20 million CPUs, Ahmed said, adding the project would cost TK250 million to be financed by its own fund and borrowing from banks.
Ahmed said this is the first time a Bangladeshi company is producing green bulbs and CPUs in the country, as it sees new opportunities in the renewable energy and information technology sectors.
Use of solar energy has been expanding at a double-digit rate in the country, with companies and charities projecting the number of users to hit one million households by 2012.
IT has also grown to be a half a billion dollars industry in less than a decade, with the number of laptop and desk users forecast to cross five million this year. But most of the IT components including CPU are imported from abroad.
Ahmed said Golden Son would use Taiwanese technology to produce the bulbs and CPU at its Chittagong plants.
"Our bulb will cost only Tk 4000 and its life span will be 50000 hours and life of its module-- the world's latest technology -- 25 years," he said.
"Solar bulb is 20 times efficient than the normal bulb, meaning a three watt energy bulb is equal to a 60 watt normal bulb. Our bulb will be cheap and even fishermen can afford it."
Golden Son has planned to export a sizable amount of its products abroad, as the country's solar energy market - although growing at 20 per cent a year - is not as big as India or a developed country, he said.
"We'll have two lines of production - one dedicated to export and the other for local market," said Ahmed.
Ahmed said Bangladesh market is now big enough to support home grown CPU makers.
"We are still a net importer of computer hardware. But I think time has come for local companies to invest in hardware manufacturing at our own soil," he said.
Set up in 2005, Golden Son floated its share four years later. It's a leading listed engineering company, with sponsors owning 64 per cent stake and the rest by public.
The company is manufactures products ranging from Baby bathroom accessories, children indoor-outdoor games, safety sporting toys, fans, non electrician food warmer and carriers.
Bangladesh-Taiwan joint venture, Golden Son Limited (GSL), Thursday announced plans to produce solar bulbs, making it the first listed company to embark into the country's fast-booming renewable energy sector.
Managing director Belal Ahmad said his five-year-old company would also manufacture Central Processing Unit (CPU) of computers in its new plants to be set up by June this year.
"We shall start production of solar-powered green bulb in August and CPU in September," he told the FE, adding that the company has already notified the securities regulator about the planned expansion.
Shares in the company gained more than four per cent to Tk 83 Thursday after the Dhaka Stock Exchange website revealed Golden Son's ambitious new drive.
The company will produce one million solar bulbs a year and 0.20 million CPUs, Ahmed said, adding the project would cost TK250 million to be financed by its own fund and borrowing from banks.
Ahmed said this is the first time a Bangladeshi company is producing green bulbs and CPUs in the country, as it sees new opportunities in the renewable energy and information technology sectors.
Use of solar energy has been expanding at a double-digit rate in the country, with companies and charities projecting the number of users to hit one million households by 2012.
IT has also grown to be a half a billion dollars industry in less than a decade, with the number of laptop and desk users forecast to cross five million this year. But most of the IT components including CPU are imported from abroad.
Ahmed said Golden Son would use Taiwanese technology to produce the bulbs and CPU at its Chittagong plants.
"Our bulb will cost only Tk 4000 and its life span will be 50000 hours and life of its module-- the world's latest technology -- 25 years," he said.
"Solar bulb is 20 times efficient than the normal bulb, meaning a three watt energy bulb is equal to a 60 watt normal bulb. Our bulb will be cheap and even fishermen can afford it."
Golden Son has planned to export a sizable amount of its products abroad, as the country's solar energy market - although growing at 20 per cent a year - is not as big as India or a developed country, he said.
"We'll have two lines of production - one dedicated to export and the other for local market," said Ahmed.
Ahmed said Bangladesh market is now big enough to support home grown CPU makers.
"We are still a net importer of computer hardware. But I think time has come for local companies to invest in hardware manufacturing at our own soil," he said.
Set up in 2005, Golden Son floated its share four years later. It's a leading listed engineering company, with sponsors owning 64 per cent stake and the rest by public.
The company is manufactures products ranging from Baby bathroom accessories, children indoor-outdoor games, safety sporting toys, fans, non electrician food warmer and carriers.