Calisolar - umg-SI Zellproduzent - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

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mache diesen Thread mal auf, weil

1) es ein pure play umg-SI Produzent ist
2) ich auf der Intersolar in Müchen Module mit deren Zellen gesehen habe, die man kaufen konnte
3) sie gerade eine neue Kapitalrunde melden
(nächstes Posting)

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11 Jun 2009
United States / Solar
CaliSolar collects USD 60m for new UMG-Si cell plant

Silicon Valley-based PV cell maker CaliSolar has secured USD 60m in a third round funding and plans to put the funds toward a new UMG-Si PV cell plant.

Calisolar disclosed the raise in a regulatory filing, which did not directly name investors. A company spokesperson did not return a call seeking comment. The filing suggests that existing investor Hudson Clean Energy Partners participated in the funding round. The New Jersey-based investment fund now has three seats on Calisolar’s board compared to one the last time the company filed with regulators. Other likely investors include Advanced Technology Ventures and Globespan Capital Partners. CaliSolar raised USD 102m in November 2008 after raising a USD 9m Series A round in July 2006. The company has a pilot plant with a production capacity of between 2MW and 3MW and is e...

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!

Dieser Beitrag wurde moderiert.

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 2:20 am
CaliSolar to ramp 50 MW UMG-Si Solar Cell Plant

[Sunnyvale, California USA]

50 MW (MegaWatt) plant under construction and online by September 2009.
16% and above efficiency solar cells processed from 100% Upgraded Metallurgical Silicon (UMG-Si) material.
Plans to achieve below $1/Watt UMG-Si Solar Cells in the next 18 months.
CaliSolar Sunnyvale plant reconnaissance.
From CaliSolar Sunnyvale plant

At the Intersolar North America Challenges in Crystalline Silicon Manufacturing program session last week, CaliSolar, Inc. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Roy Johnson presented Upgraded Metallurgical Silicon (UMG Si).

In the first slide, Mr. Johnson revealed:

* CaliSolar was founded in 2006 with the mission of developing processes to manufacture high efficiency cells using UMG Si
* We are making cells with 16% efficiency using 100% UMG Si and production scale equipment
* Sampling cells now to module makers
* 50MW plant under construction in Sunnyvale, Ca to be on-line in September
* Expansion to 200MW in 2010
* Announced one UMG Si feedstock agreement for delivery thru 2012

CEO Johnson said:

We are now making cells at sixteen (16) and above percent efficiency out of 100% UMG material. So there‘s been a general view in the world, that UMG is by definition a lower efficiency solution. Our take is that it’s a low efficiency solution if you don’t do it right. But if you do it right, if you apply the right technology, if you have the right techniques, and the right people, you can actually make very competitive solar cells out of this kind of material.

CaliSolar reiterated its business model of processing 100% UMG-Si into ingots, wafers, and cells for sale to module manufacturers and is delivering sample cells to them now for evaluation.

UMG-Si Update
Even with spot Polysilicon at ~$70/kg, CaliSolar maintains UMG-Si helps lower overall cell cost consisting of 70 to 80% silicon depending on the price. Depressed by low Polysilicon pricing, the current spot price of UMG-Si is ~$30/kg or lower.

Noting UMG-Si impurity levels are measured in parts per million and the critical importance of Boron and Phosphorus levels, Roy Johnson said:

It is insufficient to talk about how many nines of purity you have. It is too rough an indicator of the quality of the material. And really you have to be able to drill in and say exactly how much of each of these do I have. They interact with each other in different ways during casting and handling the material.

CaliSolar claims to have reduced and is working to largely eliminate light induced degradation as an issue for 100% UMG-Si solar cells though work remains to be done on breakdown voltage.
From Intersolar North America

In a controlled experiment, CaliSolar ran UMG-Si material and Polysilicon from various sources on their pilot line using the same process. Although “not a super refined process”, the results as shown above are comparable with typical 15.4% efficiency.

While much UMG-Si has been blended with Polysilicon for solar cell production to date, CaliSolar believes using 100% UMG-Si material will get them below a $1/Watt at the cell level in the next 18 months even before they get to 200 MW scale. CaliSolar believes the cost advantage can be realized by focusing on material quality and cell quality for easy to build modules delivering consistent performance.

CaliSolar is doing close work with a number of UMG-Si suppliers but has not named any after CaliSolar deal validates Timminco’s Solar Grade Silicon. Timminco Limited (TSE:TIM) has been challenged by the economic downturn and announced “Timminco Resumes Silicon Metal Production” and “Timminco Confirms $25 Million Debt Financing From Investissement Quebec” over the past month for Timminco’s Bécancour Silicon Inc. subsidiary.

By contrast, Camille Ricketts for VentureBeat reports “CaliSolar shines with $60M for photovoltaic cells” in early June.

CaliSolar Sunnyvale plant reconnaissance
Since CaliSolar plans to expand from 50 MW to 200 MW production capacity in the same building in the next year or so, I decided to reconnoiter their Sunnyvale address. On the way to the office building, I stumbled upon the actual 50 MW plant under construction around the corner. The location was made public in “CaliSolar Takes 138,700 SF in Sunnyvale” by Clayton Constable back on February 17, 2009. Besides a lone security guard, there was no activity or staff at either building late last Sunday morning.

CaliSolar’s industrial park location should not have noise issues like Evergreen Solar (please see “Devens extends Evergreen Solar’s permit after noise deal” by Christine McConville for the Boston Herald).

“UMG is out there.”

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CaliSolar

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Calisolar Acquires Ontario, Canada-Based 6N Silicon; Raises Additional $22.5 Million

Calisolar Inc. today announced the acquisition of 6N Silicon Inc., an Ontario-based silicon supplier to Calisolar and the solar industry. The acquisition was completed through a stock-for-stock transaction between the two privately held companies. In addition, $22.5 million in funding was raised from existing Calisolar and 6N investors. The new funds will be used to increase capacity at the Sunnyvale, California cell manufacturing facility and expand silicon purification operations in Vaughan, Ontario. 6N Silicon will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Calisolar.

Calisolar will tightly integrate 6N Silicon's innovative, low-cost, silicon purification techniques into its manufacturing process to deliver high-quality, high-performance solar cells. By optimizing silicon for wafering and cell manufacturing, Calisolar will significantly lower manufacturing and energy costs, improve silicon yield and enable scrap silicon recycling.

The United States and Ontario, Canada are expected to be among the highest growth markets in solar over the next five years and Calisolar will now be able to meet domestic content requirements through its combined manufacturing capacity in both markets.

"This is a major step towards our mission to reduce the cost of solar," said Roy Johnson, CEO of Calisolar. "With this acquisition of a world-class operation, talented people and new funding, Calisolar will rapidly grow in the U.S., Canada and around the world."

In January 2010, Calisolar began commercial shipments of solar cells, the critical components in solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity and are in the final stages of qualification at multiple global panel manufacturers.

"We are excited to join forces with Calisolar and expand our capacity in Ontario," said Paolo Maccario, CEO of 6N Silicon. "Calisolar is a recognized innovator and both companies have benefited from our history of collaboration. Together we will accelerate product development and trigger significant cost reductions for the solar market."

About 6N Silicon 6N Silicon has developed a low-temperature process that leverages the use of aluminum as a metal solvent for the cost-effective production of high purity solar grade silicon. The unique 6N Silicon approach satisfies two fundamental solar PV industry requirements: fast capacity growth and lower overall cost. Headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area, 6N Silicon is located in the heart of Canada's metal processing industry. More information is available at http://www.6nsilicon.com.

About Calisolar Calisolar designs and manufactures high-performance solar wafers and cells with technologies that use lower cost silicon feedstock. The privately held company is incorporated in the U.S. with manufacturing operations and headquarters in Sunnyvale, California and a state-of-the-art research and development center in Berlin, Germany. In January 2010, Calisolar began commercial shipments from its Sunnyvale facility and was awarded a clean energy manufacturing tax credit of $51.6 million as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Together, Calisolar and 6N Silicon have raised approximately $190 million, including the $22.5 million invested in February 2010. Investors include Advanced Technology Ventures, Globespan Capital Partners, Good Energies, Hudson Clean Energy, Ventures West and Yaletown Ventures. More information is available at http://www.calisolar.com.

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http://guntherportfolio.com/2010/02/calisolar-acquires-solar…

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Governor Schwarzenegger cuts ribbon at Calisolar’s Sunnyvale manufacturing facility


Posted by Debasish Choudhury on 12 April 2010 at 10:58

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger graciously accepted an invitation from Calisolar to cut the ribbon at the company’s grand opening of a new cell manufacturing facility in Sunnyvale on Tuesday, April 6, 2010.

Governor Schwarzenegger joined Calisolar CEO Roy Johnson and Calisolar Founder Dr. Kamel Ounadjea in touring the facilities and addressed a crowd of Calisolar employees and invited guests. They were joined by Melinda Hamilton, Mayor of Sunnyvale; Mike Mielke, Director of Environment of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group; Liz Kniss, Santa Clara County Supervisor; Victoria Bradshaw, California Secretary of Labor and Workforce; and Don Eagleston, President/CEO of the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce Development Agency.

The Governor and Mayor emphasized the importance of companies like Calisolar to the future of our economy and environment, saying that Calisolar “is a perfect example that you can put the two together, the economy and the environment, and protect both.” Mr. Schwarzenegger was so impressed with Calisolar that he concluded his remarks with his famous promise, “I’ll be back.”

Calisolar CEO Roy Johnson emphasized the need for a level playing field in order to compete globally and said he believed Calisolar “can be one of the low-cost producers of solar in the world.” He also noted that despite the belief that Silicon Valley is too expensive to support manufacturing, companies “are continuing to prove that if you’re smart about the way you work and the way you develop technology, you can take advantage of the very capable workforce in Silicon Valley and be competitive on a worldwide scale.”

The Governor, the Mayor, Mr. Johnson and Calisolar Founder, President and COO Dr. Ounadjela then gathered behind a ribbon made from Calisolar cells, which was strung between two solar modules manufactured by a customer using Calisolar cells. The Governor cut the ribbon, officially opening the factory.

To know more about Calisolar, please visit www.calisolar.com.

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Upgraded prospects: PV cellmaker Calisolar puts the silicon back in Silicon Valley
28 April 2010 | By Tom Cheyney | Chip Shots


SunPower ratcheted up the hoopla-o-meter with its Earth Day news event, replete with the requisite Schwarzeneggerian photo opportunity, during which it aired plans to partner with Flextronics on a 75MW crystalline-silicon moduling facility in Milpitas. A few weeks before, another Golden State-branded company putting the silicon back into Silicon Valley (and the sunny in Sunnyvale, for that matter)—Calisolar--hosted Sacramento’s lame-duck action hero for the opening ceremonies of its own newly commissioned PV cell factory.

Although both companies call the silicon segment of solar home, they sit on different sides of the sector. SunPower makes monocrystalline cells in Malaysian factories far from Highway 101 and will ship the six-inch substrates to the new assembly line in the southeast Bay Area. Calisolar actually fabs its upgraded metallurgical-grade cells within shouting distance of that iconic freeway and sends its products to a global cast of module makers.

While I couldn’t be there earlier this month to shake Arnold’s hand and smoke one of his cigars, I did meet Calisolar CEO Roy Johnson last week at the company’s HQ, home to what may be the world’s leading UMG cell facility.

Other companies such as Q-Cells and Canadian Solar have tried to make a go of UMG, but backed off significantly when the price of polysilicon plummeted and the value proposition for the metallurgical stuff soured, at least in their eyes.

By contrast, Calisolar has been all about the upgraded metallics from the company’s inception, believing that with the right combination of technological and engineering know-how, it could take low-grade (and low-cost) silicon and make it into a high-performance silicon cell.

“We have always been focused on making cells that are drop-in replacements, that are indistinguishable from the ones that people are making out of poly,” explained Johnson. “If you have a silicon cost advantage by using UMG and you dissipate that advantage to a large degree by having an inferior product at the cell or module level, it’s not clear to us that that’s a worthwhile tradeoff.”

“We always thought it would be possible, all the way back to the original business plan in 2006, that if you were smart about it and you engineered it correctly, you could completely close the gap with what you get out of high-grade silicon,” he pointed out.

Johnson said that the median conversion efficiencies of the cells coming out of Calisolar’s 60MW factory (and being shipped to customers since January) are in the low 16s, similar to or even better than what one might get off a multicrystalline line or even a lower-end monocrystalline operation.

“We bin on a two-tenths-percent range of efficiencies in boxes [of cells] that we send to the customer—a 16.2% box, a 16.4% box, a 16.6% box, and so on,” he noted, so that the 10-12 companies that Calisolar works with can try cells with different efficiencies in their modules. A couple of 60-cell, two-busbar, three-bypass diode modules leaning against the wall in the company’s reception area sported 235-240W ratings, according to the exec.

Since it has narrowed the distribution of efficiency and quality on its cells and has shown good breakdown voltage, light-induced defect numbers, and other attributes, Calisolar hasn’t had to “change our process to accommodate module-makers’ requirements” since it first started shipping samples, he claimed.

Another telling sign of Calisolar’s apparent success in getting its UMG cells to the point of interchangeability with standard c-Si cells comes in the form of a compliment that Johnson and his team have heard from a few customers: “Are you sure these are made out of UMG, are you sure these aren’t poly?”

The February acquisition of Ontario-based UMG manufacturer 6N Silicon has added verticality to Calisolar’s integration strategy, with the company now spanning everything from raw material production to finished cell fabrication. (The company’s R&D unit is located in Berlin.) The liquid-phase, direct silicon purification process used to make the chunks of UMG at the 6N subsidiary produces the lower-grade material at a fraction of the cost and energy usage of polysilicon, according to the cell firm.

Johnson stipulated to the lower purity of UMG—in the 10s of part per million versus parts per billion, or about three 9s less than the higher purity stuff--but pointed out that “the nines don’t tell the story. What really matters are specific impurities, not the general levels.”

With a proprietary balancing act of doping and purity distribution in the key elements such as boron and phosphorus, Calisolar has figured out how to get a metallurgical silicon that can give it efficiencies comparable to mainstream crystalline technologies—at a fraction of the materials cost.

While other companies that have dabbled in UMG have used a blend of UMG and higher-grade poly, he explained that from the very beginning, Calisolar has “always gone after a 100% UMG because we don’t have a supply chain of electronic-grade silicon. For us, the idea has always been, let’s figure out how to get 100% to work.”

“We’ve worked very hard with the silicon vendors, and now very closely with 6N—now that they’re part of the company—to get the boron levels and the phosphorus levels down to the point where they need to be,” he said. “We would much rather use 100% UMG because of the cost.”

He did admit that Calisolar buys electronic-grade silicon “on a spot basis,” but not for blending purposes. “It’s really more for calibration. We’ll run electronic-grade ingots and make them into cells, just to benchmark how we’re doing with our process and with our silicon.”

Calisolar’s Sunnyvale production flow starts with the purified UMG-Si chunks made at its 6N Silicon subsidiary in Ontario, which are dumped by the 450KG load into the GT Solar crystallization furnaces and turned into ingots after two days-plus of processing.

The ingots are then bricked and shaped in a row of Meyer Burger tools, before moving over to another set of gear from the Swiss PV tool powerhouse--the wafer saws. When I toured the shop floor, all seven of the band-saw systems were throb-buzzing away, as thousands of kilometers of wire unspooled and sliced through the blocks.

As Johnson explained, the factory uses “standard manufacturing tools, no customized equipment…all the customization is around the process,” with most of the knob-twisting happening in the casting and cell-making areas.

“How we tweak the temperatures, the flows, the secret sauce stuff I don’t want to talk about, at every step the way we do things gets adjusted because of the lower-grade silicon, the metallization, emitter, they’re tuned for the [specific] characteristics of UMG,” he said.

Familiar equipment companies like Rena, AMAT/Baccini, and centrotherm have a presence in Calisolar’s cell-making operation. “We work closely with our tool suppliers—they’re around all the time. We have good relationships up and down the line,” the company exec smiled.

No used equipment installed there either, as the $45 million worth of production systems that started showing up at the factory last summer are all brand new.

While the initial line is still ramping (the capacity load running now is a little more than 50%, largely due to getting people trained and ongoing process tweaking, according to Johnson), there’s lots of room for expansion in the Sunnyvale factory, with tools being ordered and plans under way to add capacity. The company should be up in the “150-200MW range by this time next year.”

Because equipment vendors are upgrading their systems, improving throughputs and the like, and those “higher density tools may or may not be ready” at the hoped-for time, he said that calculating the exact future capacity number is not “a linear extrapolation.”

Of course, the whole point of having a slick, high-volume manufacturing flow is to make thousands upon thousands of cells and sell them (for a profit hopefully) as fast as you can make them. Calling it a “nice problem to have,” Johnson said that Calisolar is actually sold out, even overbooked a bit, for three years, assuming that capacity is built out as planned.

One big plus cited by the Calisolar CEO is the company’s ability to meet “domestic content” requirements for certain U.S.markets and especially the Ontario market, because of where its production takes place. The lucrative FIT environment in the Canadian province is ripe for systems integrators/installers to choose modules made with the firm’s UMG cells, since the material portion comes from the 6N unit’s local plant.

If all goes according to plan, with customers lined up and capacity expansions moving forward, what might the future hold of Calisolar? One possible scenario involves that shiny three-letter acronym—IPO.

“It would not be unreasonable to see that happen in late 2011 or 2012,” theorized Johnson, assuming profitability and continuing technology/cost advantages. The CEO still thinks of the company as a start-up, despite its 200-plus headcount, but admitted that “a reasonable outcome would be an acquisition or going public.”

For now though, Calisolar’s focus is on going forward, driving costs down as things scale up, and proving daily that one can successfully take relatively cheap, low-grade silicon and make high-quality, attractively priced silicon solar cells.

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Calisolar appoints Sandra Beach Lin as chief executive officer


Posted by Debasish Choudhury on 12 August 2010 at 09:06


Calisolar, a vertically integrated manufacturer of solar silicon, wafers and cells, today announced the appointment of Sandra Beach Lin as the company's Chief Executive Officer. The move is the latest step in building the executive team to lead the company through its rapid scale-up into a high-volume, low-cost manufacturer.

"With the selection of Sandy as CEO, we are adding an experienced leader who knows how to run large, international organizations, set strategy, develop and promote team leadership, increase productivity, drive growth and foster innovation," said Calisolar Chairman of the Board John D. Correnti. "As the perfect complement to a very experienced management team, we are now well positioned to continue our expansion efforts to meet the high demand for our products." Added Correnti, "We want to thank our former CEO, Roy Johnson, for a job well done in leading the company from development through commercialization."

Over the past few months, Calisolar has achieved a number of key milestones in concluding its commercialization phase, including IEC certification, surpassing one million cells shipped, achieving a shipping rate of 1 megawatt per week and utilizing volume shipments of solar silicon from its own purification operations in Ontario, Canada. Several megawatts of Calisolar cells are now connected to the grid and generating clean, renewable energy, including large installations greater than 1 megawatt in size. In addition, the company recently received the top ranking out of a total of 44 participants that were evaluated for the California Energy Commission Clean Energy Business Financing Program. Calisolar will use the additional financing to continue its expansion.

Commenting on her reasons for joining Calisolar, Sandra Beach Lin said, "Calisolar's high-performance solar cells, manufactured using low-cost silicon feedstock, utilize the right technology at the right time to help support the world's growing need for renewable energy. The company is experiencing overwhelming demand for its products. The Calisolar team has built a strong business plan based on commercializing its technological innovations and demonstrated success in penetrating a large and rapidly growing market. I look forward to driving the next phase of global growth, increasing productivity across the organization and continuing to develop the innovative technologies needed to lower the cost of solar."

Ms. Lin has repeatedly demonstrated skill in creating economic value and growth through innovation and global expansion. An experienced business unit President, she has successfully led multiple global businesses with billions of dollars of sales Ms. Lin joins Calisolar from Celanese Corporation, a $5.1 billion global chemical company, where she served as Corporate Executive Vice President. Most recently, she was responsible for driving global strategic leadership for the company's activities related to sustainability. The divisions she led generated more than $2.0 billion in revenues and with 3,500 employees in 13 facilities around the world. She has previously held executive-level positions at Avery Dennison, Alcoa and Honeywell International. Ms. Lin is a member of the board of directors of WESCO International, a $4.6 billion Fortune 500 company, where she serves as Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee and member of the Compensation Committee.

Ms. Lin earned a BBA degree in Production and General Management from the University of Toledo, graduating magna cum laude in 1980. In addition, she earned an MBA degree in 1982 from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Marketing, Policy and Control.

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TORONTO, Oct 19, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd (NYSE: STP), the world's largest producer of crystalline silicon solar panels, and Calisolar Inc., a privately held, vertically integrated manufacturer of solar silicon, wafers and cells, today announced that the companies have signed a Letter of Intent to construct a solar silicon manufacturing facility in Ontario Canada.

Once completed, the manufacturing facility will add new operators and engineers and will significantly expand the existing manufacturing operations in Vaughan, Ontario, doubling total employment at Calisolar's wholly owned subsidiary, 6N Silicon to more than 350. As set forth in the Letter of Intent, Suntech will assist with financing the expansion, and enter a multi-year agreement to purchase solar silicon produced by Calisolar at the new manufacturing facility.

"This partnership with Calisolar is an excellent opportunity for Suntech to accelerate the development of the solar industry in Ontario and meet the growing solar demand across Canada," said Steven Chan, President of Suntech's North American operations. "We have looked at the various alternatives for investment in Ontario and have determined that our continued commitment to the silicon refining industry provides the best opportunity to create long-term sustainable jobs given the product's export viability."

"This agreement with Suntech, a recognized global leader in solar products, marks a significant milestone in Calisolar's expansion," commented Calisolar CEO Sandra Beach Lin. "Calisolar's unique silicon refining technology was developed in Ontario and provides significant cost and environmental advantages compared to traditional processes. Together with Suntech we will be able to expand our operations in Ontario and bring long-term, sustainable jobs to continue to serve this exciting, emerging market for solar energy."

Steven Chan added, "We are very excited about this initiative and have been working with the Province of Ontario to seek clarification regarding the local content regulations so that we can move forward in the most efficient manner possible. This is a unique opportunity to leverage the economic advantages of technologies and expertise found only in Ontario for use in cost effective, large scale, renewable energy."

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http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1369605/0001369605100…

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Sie versuchen offenbar "domestic" zu überleben:


CALISOLAR ANNOUNCES PLANS TO EXPAND SOLAR SILICON PRODUCTION
Calisolar to Build New Solar Silicon Facility in Mississippi with Support from State
Contact Jeremy Robinson-Leon, [phone], [e-mail]

September 2, 2011 • Jackson, MS

Calisolar, a producer of solar and industrial materials, today announced plans to expand the production of its revolutionary low-cost, high-quality solar silicon by building a new 16,000MT solar silicon production facility in Lowndes County, Mississippi. This facility will build on the success of Calisolar’s solar silicon production facility in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada and allow the company to meet the ever-increasing demand for its solar silicon.

At the new facility in Mississippi, Calisolar will produce silicon metal – to be consumed primarily internally – and solar silicon to be sold to the company’s existing and new customers in the solar industry globally. The expansion project will cost approximately $600 million.

Supported by sustained growth in the solar market, demand for Calisolar’s solar silicon is continuing to expand rapidly. Because silicon represents the single largest cost of producing solar modules, Calisolar’s proprietary purification solution will meaningfully contribute to reducing costs in the global solar energy supply chain.

“I appreciate the commitment by Calisolar to locate its solar silicon production facility in Columbus, ” Governor Haley Barbour said. “This innovative company will provide high-skilled, high-paying jobs for nearly 1,000 Mississippians, and the company's decision to locate here further demonstrates our state is a competitive location for advanced manufacturing with advanced materials.”

A significant factor in Calisolar’s decision to build its new facility in Mississippi was the infrastructure and training-focused incentive package approved by the State Legislature today. In addition, a previously approved incentive package from the Lowndes County Development Authority, support from the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the local university and education network in the state were positive factors.

“We’re thrilled to be expanding our operations to Mississippi, as Calisolar works to set the industry standard for the future of solar silicon production,” said John Correnti, executive chairman of Calisolar’s Board of Directors. “We’ve demonstrated that our low-cost silicon can produce high-performance solar cells, now sold commercially, which has been an important step in the growth of our company. Now, our focus is on expanding silicon production capacity – where we have the greatest competitive cost advantage – and achieving further cost savings.”

SMS Siemag, a leading technology provider from Germany noted for its metallurgical expertise, will be supplying the majority of the equipment to be installed at the Mississippi facility. San Antonio, Texas-based Zachry Holdings, Inc. will be engineering and building the facility along with several local Mississippi construction firms.

When operational, Calisolar’s Mississippi facility has the potential to catalyze significant economic development for Lowndes County and the state, generating an annual payroll of approximately $42,795,000. The project will also create an estimated 1,000 construction jobs during the peak period of its construction.

“This new facility is a major milestone for our company as we continue to fulfill our mission of becoming the lowest-cost producer of high-quality solar silicon globally,” said Sandra Beach Lin, CEO of Calisolar. “We are grateful to Governor Barbour, the Mississippi State Legislature, the Mississippi Development Authority, and Lowndes County for their collective vision and support for this project. We look forward to building a world-class facility together.”

In addition to Vaughan, Ontario, Calisolar currently operates facilities in Sunnyvale, California and Berlin, Germany. The Sunnyvale facility has been the company’s primary proving ground for demonstrating the ability of its solar silicon to produce high-performance solar cells, while the facility in Berlin serves as a state-of-the-art research and development center.

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Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.565.361 von R-BgO am 08.01.12 12:43:54

flexibel sind sie:

By Mark Osborne - 12 March 2012, 11:13In News, Materials
Calisolar changes name as Suntech becomes key customer of its purified silicon metal


The company said that Suntech Power Holdings, which had been a customer of Calisolar’s UMG-Si products in the past, would take 40% of its 16,000MT annual production.
Calisolar is morphing into a polysilicon producer with a name change that better reflects its future ambitions. Renamed, Silicor Materials Inc, the company has bagged a major supply deal for its purified silicon metal material with the PV industries largest module producer, Suntech Power Holdings.

“Over the past year, we’ve sharpened our focus on the segment of the solar supply chain where we have our greatest competitive edge: production of high quality, low cost silicon,” said John Correnti, Executive Chairman of Silicor Materials. “In order to get to grid parity, the entire solar industry must get used to a lower price point. Silicor Materials is leading the way with a cutting-edge product, enabling cost reductions across the supply chain.”

Silicor Materials claims that its ‘revolutionary’ process, which purifies silicon metals with aluminium to achieve higher-grade solar silicon material offers polysilicon to be sold at less than US$20/kg, easily competing with many ‘Siemens’ based producers on cost due in part to significantly lower energy usage.

Major customers

The company said that Suntech Power Holdings, which had been a customer of Calisolar’s UMG-Si products in the past, would take 40% of its 16,000MT annual production. Suntech does not produce polysilicon in-house.

“Silicor Materials has been a great partner and supplier. The team has enabled our growth in the Ontario solar market with their silicon, and we look forward to serving additional markets with the silicon they will produce in Mississippi,” commented Eric Luo, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain at Suntech.

Silicor is planning to build a polysilicon plant in Lowndes County, Mississippi at a cost of US$600 million and be operational in 2014.

The company also said it had agreed terms with another PV manufacturer, though did not disclose its identity.

“We are extremely pleased to formalize two strong partnerships as we progress with the construction of our Mississippi facility,” said Theresa Jester, CEO of Silicor Materials. “Our new name, Silicor Materials, reflects our commitment to delivering world-class products to a variety of industries. In line with the plan we outlined last September, our core product continues to be high quality silicon for PV cells. In addition, our innovative manufacturing process will continue to allow us to sell aluminum-based products, such as master alloys and polyaluminum chloride.”

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Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.888.948 von R-BgO am 12.03.12 17:48:27

und leben tun sie zu meiner Überraschung auch noch:http://www.silicormaterials.com/news-a-event/press-releases.…

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Silicor Materials Selects Iceland Site for First Large-Scale Solar Silicon Plant

July 15, 2014


SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Silicor Materials, Inc., the lowest cost manufacturer of high-quality solar silicon and a producer of aluminum by-products, announced today that it has selected a site at the port of Grundartangi in Iceland for its first large-scale solar silicon production facility.

“With significant quantities of material shipped and support from a global roster of satisfied customers, the company’s products are eagerly awaited by customers in a number of diverse industries. We anticipate strong, swift interest from the investment community and look forward to bringing this game-changing organization to Iceland.”

Silicor has engaged Arion Bank, one of the largest banks in Iceland, to lead the debt financing for the plant, which would create as many as 400 full-time jobs in addition to up to 100 construction positions. Centra Corporate Finance was chosen to raise equity for the project. Company executives recently met with Iceland President, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, regarding the initiative, and are in active discussions with Iceland’s Ministry of Industries and Innovation to finalize an incentives package.

“When we consider the potential sites for our first commercial-scale plant, Iceland is a leading candidate for a number of reasons,” said Theresa Jester, CEO of Silicor Materials. “In addition to its world-class manufacturing and transportation infrastructure, the country provides low-cost renewable energy, enabling Silicor to produce the only truly ‘green’ silicon in the world. Further, Iceland ranks among the top aluminum producers worldwide, providing Silicor with a built-in market for its premium aluminum-based products. With the support of Arion Bank, we are well positioned to bring this venture to realization.”

In testing with solar manufacturers using a variety of silicon blends, Silicor’s solar silicon has proven to consistently meet customers’ rigorous performance requirements, including achieving mainstream market efficiencies. The company’s Iceland facility will have a nameplate capacity of 16,000 metric tons, with the ability to yield up to 19,000 metric tons of solar silicon each year. Once all phases of the project are complete, the company will produce at a cash cost of $9/kg, with a roadmap for substantial further cost reductions. Silicor has already secured sales commitments and letters of intent with several leading global solar wafer, cell and module manufacturers, and expects to have the facility’s nameplate capacity sold out by the end of 2014.

Silicor’s solar silicon is produced specifically for the solar sector, as compared to conventional processes, which were originally produced for the electronics industry and later modified to serve the solar sector. Consequently, Silicor has developed the industry’s lowest-cost manufacturing process, while producing silicon to meet the exacting specifications of its customers. The company’s process is also environmentally friendly, as evidenced by the rapid completion of all environmental permitting by Iceland’s Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources. Silicor’s manufacturing process requires two-thirds less energy than conventional processes and uses no toxic chemicals, allowing manufacturing facilities to be sited in light industrial parks.

The Silicor manufacturing process requires less than half the capital of competing technologies, providing a more capital efficient business model with significantly lower operating costs. To date, the company’s solar silicon has powered more than 20 million cells, now installed and generating clean electricity worldwide.

Additionally, Silicor’s premium aluminum products—master alloys and polyaluminum chloride—are excellent feedstocks for the automotive and wastewater treatment industries, respectively.

“Silicor has the unique potential to tap several massive industries through one process,” said Craig Wellen, CFO of Silicor Materials. “With significant quantities of material shipped and support from a global roster of satisfied customers, the company’s products are eagerly awaited by customers in a number of diverse industries. We anticipate strong, swift interest from the investment community and look forward to bringing this game-changing organization to Iceland.”

The company selected the Grundartangi site with support from the Associated Icelandic Ports.

“Silicor offers a tremendous economic development opportunity to the Icelandic community, all without compromising its dedication to environmental stewardship,” said Gisli Gislason, Director for the Associated Icelandic Ports. “Simply put, this facility is a win-win opportunity for Iceland and Silicor.”

Silicor has obtained heads of terms, and a letter of intent from Landsvirkjun and Orka Náttúrunnar (ON Power) respectively, two of Iceland’s largest power producers, to supply 100-percent renewable energy to power plant operations. SMS Siemag, a global leader in machinery and plant construction for the steel, aluminum and metallurgical-grade silicon industries, has signed on to supply the majority of the facility’s production equipment.

Pending final negotiations, Silicor aims to break ground later this year and accelerate construction to bring the plant online in 2016.

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 50.027.919 von R-BgO am 22.06.15 22:43:18

STILL (!) in business:

http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/silicor-near…

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 53.631.438 von R-BgO am 06.11.16 16:30:09

http://www.silicormaterials.com/news-a-event/press-releases/…

[R-BgO]

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