Specialty metals producer Timminco Ltd. has signed a deal to supply solar-cell-grade silicon to CaliSolar Inc., a two-year-old privately held company based in Sunnyvale, Calif.
The deal, through Timminco subsidiary Becancour Silicon Inc., involves shipments of approximately 1,700 tonnes to December 2012. Financial details were not disclosed Monday, but initial shipments will begin in the third quarter of 2008.
The deal follows a contract to supply silicon to Q-Cells AG, the world's largest manufacturer of solar cells, as well as contracts with Pittsburgh-based Solar Power Industries Inc.
Timminco upgrades metallurgical grade silicon into low-cost solar grade silicon for use in the manufacture of solar cells, which turn sunlight into electricity.
The company, which also produces silicon metal, magnesium extrusions and other specialty metals, has been fighting skepticism about its solar-cell-grade silicon production process.
"In their search for a solar grade silicon supplier, CaliSolar has done extensive tests with materials from many UMG Si producers and obtained cell efficiencies over 15 per cent with our product," stated Becancour Silicon president Rene Boisvert.
CaliSolar develops and manufactures high-efficiency solar cells and has operations in both the U.S. and Germany.
Source: Canadian Press
Silicon Metal at www.minerals-and-metals.com/silicon-metal.html
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