Lithuanian solar cell production commences
The BOD Group High Technology Center L.I.G.H.T. Wing will be holding an opening ceremony on in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, attended by the Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius, the German ambassador Matthias Muelmenstädt and the Mayor of Vilnius Arturas Zuokas. The ceremony will focus on the commissioning of a new production line for crystalline solar cells which was supplied by SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES (SINGULUS), Germany.
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES had signed a contract with the BOD Group at the start of 2012 for the supply of a production line for solar cells. With this move, SINGULUS demonstrated the capability existing within the company to bring together expertise in vacuum coating technology and wet chemistry in supplying all key components of a complete cell production line. The main production steps involved in the manufacture of silicon solar cells, such as the wet-chemical facilities for texturing and cleaning as well as the vacuum systems for applying anti-reflective coatings are in-house developments of SINGULUS.
Dr.-Ing. Stefan Rinck, Chief Executive Officer of SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, remarked: "SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES has installed the entire cell production line under the brand name of SOLARE on schedule and has already made cells of an excellent standard during the commissioning phase". Dr.-Ing. Stefan Rinck continued: "Our new development agreement with the BOD Group includes in particular enhancing cell efficiency and reducing the cost of manufacturing cells. In harness with the BOD Group as our venture partner, that means that in the future we will be able to offer the basis for manufacturing highly efficient solar cells at a low cost."
Vidmantas JanuleviÄius, CEO of the BOD Group, declared at the inauguration: "In commissioning this plant we are very proud to be supporting the goals of expanding renewables in Lithuania, in this specific case photovoltaics. Our collaboration with SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES has been hugely successful, as the performance data for the first solar cells tested show. We chose SINGULUS because we have been long acquainted with the company as a leading supplier of vacuum technology and we are impressed by the concept of the production line with integral SINGULUS systems. We also intend to use production plant from SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES in developing PERC solar cell technology and have already placed orders for the machinery in question".
These facilities comprise the SINGULAR XP vacuum coating machine for the rear passivation of crystalline PERC solar cells and a polishing and etching plant of the type LINEA II.
