UPDATE 1-Evergreen Solar signs two long-term contracts

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NEW YORK, June 18 (Reuters) - U.S. solar panel maker Evergreen Solar Inc (ESLR.O) said on Wednesday it signed two new sales contracts, which should bring in about $600 million through 2012.

The company said it signed deals to provide solar panels to groSolar and Germany's Wagner & Co Solartechnik, which will be manufactured at the company's Devens, Massachusetts, plant.

The new contracts will bring total contractual backlog to about $1.7 billion, Evergreen Solar said.

Evergreen said its Devens plant will begin production in July and already has about 65 percent of its 160-megawatt annual production capacity booked through 2013.

It is looking to commit up to 75 percent of the plant's long-term capacity to long-term contracts, the company said, noting it is still in talks with other potential customers.

Shares of Evergreen Solar were up 13.5 percent in after-the-bell trading after closing at $10.24 on Nasdaq Wednesday, up 2 cents. (Reporting by Michael Erman; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)