Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE) ("Yingli Green Energy" or the "Company"), the largest vertically integrated photovoltaic ("PV") module manufacturer in the world, also known as "Yingli Solar", today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Yingli Energy (China) Company Limited ("Yingli China") has signed a cooperation agreement (the "Agreement") with Shanghai Sailing Capital Management Co., Ltd., the manager of Shanghai Sailing Capital Investment Fund, to jointly form a renewable energy fund (the "Fund") in Shanghai with an aim to invest in downstream solar energy projects in China.
Shanghai Sailing Capital Investment Fund is an affiliated entity of Sailing Capital International Fund ("Sailing Capital").
According to the Agreement, the Fund will have an initial size of approximately RMB1 billion, of which Yingli China commits to contribute approximately 51% of the total capital through its wholly owned affiliate in China. The capital contribution will, however, be made in several installments. The Fund is expected to invest primarily in Yingli Green Energy's solar PV projects through various portfolios, and both parties will take an active role in the management of the Fund. The parties will enter into further definitive agreements to formally define their partnership and specific investment opportunities.
"Renewable energy is emerging as a strategic industry in China and around the world, and the PV segment in particular has great prospects for future development," commented Mr. James Xiaodong Liu, Chief Executive Officer of Sailing Capital's fund manager. "As China's first large, cross-border RMB private equity fund, Sailing Capital is pleased to join a PV industry leader, Yingli Green Energy. The Fund, which will initially focus on ground-mounted solar power plant and distributed solar power generation system investments, marks the beginning of the two companies' comprehensive cooperation through capital and industrial resource sharing. This partnership will not only enhance Yingli Green Energy's strategic efficiency, but will also drive the rapid development of the industry and create value for the investors."
"We are delighted to partner with Sailing Capital, a leading RMB private equity fund with robust funding resources, to accelerate our footprint in the downstream solar energy market," commented Mr. Bryan Li, Executive Director and Chief Strategy Officer of Yingli Green Energy. "As a long-term strategic repositioning, this cooperation is a solid step towards our transition from a PV manufacturer to a renewable energy solutions provider. By securing a priority right in investing in Yingli Green Energy's downstream solar projects, we should also be able to seek more sources of investment in solar PV projects, while at the same time minimizing potential risks."
