Econcern and SOLON AG have reached an agreement to establish a joint venture, Silicium de Provence SAS to produce solar grade silicon. The investment, of about EUR300 million, will enable continued growth of the two companies by establishing a secure silicon source.
The company will be located in France and will owned under the umbrella of SOL Holding AG.
Frank Wouters, CEO of both SOL Holding AG and Silicium de Provence says, “It is very exciting to set up and to work on one of the largest polysilicon plants in the world, especially in France, a country that is currently discovering the potential of renewable energy. We will sell our solar grade silicon to leading wafer and solar cell manufacturers worldwide. The wafers will be converted into top-quality solar cells. With declining cells costs high efficiency will be the future in PV.”
Silicium de Provence will initially produce 3000 tons of polysilicon a year and will be operational at the end of 2008. A second phase expansion could increase capacity to 7,500 tons annually.
Dr. Ad van Wijk, Econcern Chairman, “Ecostream supplies turnkey renewable energy systems worldwide. In the recent past, Ecostream’s growth was restricted by the limited availability of silicon on the world market. Our investment in SOL Holding supports the long-term growth of Ecostream in the photovoltaic business.”
Thomas Krupke, CEO of SOLON AG, “This joint venture not only secures the long-term supply of silicon for our module business but also strengthens our relationship with Econcern. Together we can build on the synergy between our companies.”
Loading...