GT Solar receives $91 million in orders from customers in Asia for sapphire furnaces

Date Announced: 11 May 2011 MERRIMACK, N.H. -- GT Solar International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOLR), a global provider of polysilicon production technology, and sapphire and silicon crystalline growth systems and materials for the solar, LED and other specialty markets, today announced that it has received three new orders totaling $91 million for its advanced sapphire crystallization furnaces (ASF). Two of the orders are from customers in Taiwan, Alpha Crystal Technology, a new customer, and Tera Xtal, who last week announced a sapphire material purchase agreement with GT Solar. The third order comes from a new customer in China, the Lingyang Group. “These new orders continue a very robust order rate for our ASF furnaces,” said Tom Gutierrez, GT Solar’s president and CEO. “The interest shown by new market entrants and existing sapphire producers for our ASF systems has surpassed our expectations and is a testament to the confidence customers have for our proven ability to quickly ramp to high volume, low-cost manufacturing with leading edge crystal growth technology to meet the market demand for high quality sapphire material.” GT Solar’s crystallization process technology and global support resources offer customers a path to productive and profitable sapphire manufacturing operations with high levels of throughput and a greater return on their investment. About GT Solar International, Inc. GT Solar International, Inc. is a global provider of polysilicon production technology, and sapphire and silicon crystalline growth systems and materials for the solar, LED and other specialty markets. The company's products and services allow its customers to optimize their manufacturing environments and lower their cost of ownership. For additional information about GT Solar, please visit www.gtsolar.com.

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