Today Sanyo announced in Tokyo that it will more than triple its solar cell production in the US by investing $80 million in a new plant in Salem, Oregon. The plant will begin operations in October 2009 and is scheduled to be at full capacity by April 2010.

Sanyo said maximum annual production is set to hit about 70 MW of solar ingots and wafers. This means the company’s total solar production capacity will be boosted to 100 MW annually. In total, Sanyo wants to achieve 600 MW by fiscal 2010, up from just 260 MW in 2008.

Sanyo began experimenting with solar technology as early as 1975. The company’s Oregon solar production plant is the second in the US. By fiscal 2010, it is planned to have 200 employees.