BYD Co. Ltd has increased its workforce in Brazil by one-fifth to boost its output there of solar panels, Reuters reports, citing the Chinese manufacturer’s marketing and sustainability director in Brazil Adalberto Maluf.

The news agency quotes Mr Maluf as saying BYD has taken on 60 new employees and started a second production shift at its factory in the southeastern Brazilian municipality of Campinas, in São Paulo State.

Mr Maluf said BYD might decide, if demand kept growing, to add later this year a third shift, to raise its annual output to enough solar panels to generate 400 MW of electricity from enough to generate 250 MW.

Growth in demand has picked up since January, and BYD expects to sell in Brazil this year enough panels to generate 1 GW.