MERRIMACK, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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 a $33.3 million order from South Korea-based OCI Company, Ltd. for its sapphire crystallization furnaces. The order marks OCI’s entrance into the fast-growing LED industry, and is GT Solar’s first commercial sale of its sapphire crystallization furnaces into the important Korea LED market. OCI will use the furnaces to produce high quality sapphire material, the fundamental substrate material used to manufacture a wide range of LED products such as high brightness LEDs. The order will be included in GT Solar’s backlog for its current Q4 FY11, which ends on April 2, 2011.

“We are very pleased that OCI has selected our advanced sapphire crystallization furnaces to support their entrance into the LED market,” said Tom Gutierrez, GT Solar’s president and CEO. “This is the third order for our sapphire crystallization furnaces in the last two months from leading PV manufacturers that are entering the LED market. We worked closely with OCI several years ago when they launched their polysilicon production operations helping them to become one of the PV industry’s leading producers of polysilicon. We look forward to working with them again as they enter the high-growth LED industry.”

GT Solar has enabled new market entrants in the PV industry to establish productive and profitable manufacturing operations with its proven crystallization process technology and global support resources. PV manufacturers with expertise in the production of crystalline materials are targeting the LED market as a new opportunity. Yole Développment, a leading LED industry research firm, predicts that the LED market will grow at a CAGR of approximately 20.5% from 2010 through 2015.

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.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release are forward-looking in nature, including statements regarding expected revenue from customer contracts. These statements are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, which could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. Factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements include the possibility that the Company is unable to recognize revenue on customer contracts, that technological changes could render existing products or technologies obsolete, the Company may be unable to protect its intellectual property rights, competition from other manufacturers may increase, exchange rate fluctuations and conditions in the credit markets and economy may reduce demand for the Company’s products and various other risks as outlined in GT Solar International, Inc.’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the statements under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal 2010 filed on June 4, 2010 and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the second fiscal quarter filed on November 9, 2010. GT Solar International, Inc. is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.