Chemical Engineering @ChemengFiles.Com

The photovoltaic industry is experiencing a period of strong growth despite the current economic crisis. The challenge for leaders in this industry is to continue to lower manufacturing costs as well as develop more efficient processes, in order to resist strong pressure on prices. As the industry becomes more global and innovative, new key players in the market, particularly cells that produce crystalline silicon (c-Si) and new more efficient thin film cells. This will allow manufacturers of photovoltaic cells to achieve comparable cost to potentially fossil energy sources.

Air Liquide strengthens its leading position in gas and services in the photovoltaic industry: more than half of the 10 major manufacturers of crystalline silicon solar cells, and over 40% of the factories of thin film solar cells the world are already customers of Air Liquide.

In recent months, Air Liquide has signed a dozen new contracts with manufacturers of photovoltaic cells in Europe, USA and Asia, representing more than 4 GWp of additional capacity. Within these new long-term contracts, Air Liquide will invest over 40 million euros to supply from generators spot, nitrogen, hydrogen, bulk mono-silane and other gases, material and special services.

In 2008, Air Liquide has developed and strengthened its relationship with Q-Cells SE, the number one global production of solar cells, increasing their activities within the Solar Valley Thalheim Park in Germany, where the six c-FABS If the three companies and cell films associated to Q-Cells. Air Liquide will supply all the gas carrier and specialty gases in bulk to the new factory in multicrystalline silicon for Q-cells implanted in Malaysia. Q-Cells plans to increase its global production capacity of 800 MWp in 2008 to over 1.3 GWp by the end of 2009. Air Liquide is also strengthening its ties with REC Group, the world's number one production of silicon materials for photovoltaic solar industry by signing a long-term contract to supply gas to new vehicle production plant in polysilicium BER Moses Lake, in the United States.

In Nan 'Chang, in China, Air Liquide has won a long-term contract with Best Solar for what it is, until today, the most ambitious project of producing cells of Chinese film, with an initial production of 330 MWp. Air Liquide will supply special gases, equipment and distribution elements for all installations.

In Taiwan, Air Liquide has signed a contract to supply turnkey-Sunwell with CMC, a leader in the manufacture of Chinese solar cell thin films whose current production capacity is 120 MWp.