BOE Technology Group Co Ltd<000725><200725>, one of the largest LCD producers in China, over the weekend launched mass production at its 4.5-generation TFT-LCD plant in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, sources reported.

The new TFT-LCD production line, which involves a total investment of RMB 3.1 billion, is able to output 30,000 units of glass substrates for the production of panels under 12.1 inches in size. The panels will be in notebook PCs, handsets and other consumer electronics products.

The production facility went into trial operation in June. Since then, its yield has been increased to 90%, and the plant has reached supply agreements with more than ten domestic and foreign clients.

The Chengdu plant is the only one in China that has an automated production line for colored filters and LCD panels.

BOE has production bases in Beijing, Chengdu and Hefei, and does not have plans to build plants in other Chinese cities, said Wang Dongsheng, chairman of the board of the firm.

Reportedly, BOE invested in a 6th-generation TFT-LCD production line in Hefei last year and an 8th-generation one in Beijing in August.

BOE estimated that its third-quarter net profit fell about 60% year on year to about RMB 100 million.