Evonik and SolarWorld Open New Solar Silicon Plant

12-Aug-2008

Evonik Industries and SolarWorld have officially opened their new solar silicon plant in Rheinfelden (Baden, Germany). As part of the joint venture Joint Solar Silicon (JSSI), the two companies are using a process in the new plant that enables energy savings of up to 90 percent compared to conventional solar silicon production.

"With the opening of the plant, Evonik Industries is answering the worldwide demand to increase the share of alternative energies further, such as solar energy, in power generation," says Dr. Alfred Oberholz, member of Evonik's Executive Board. The investment volume for the integrated production network will range in the double-digit millions of euros.

JSSI is a joint venture of Evonik Industries AG, Essen (51 percent) and SolarWorld AG, Bonn. "With JSSI, we are consistently expanding our activities in raw materials supply," says certified engineer Frank H. Asbeck, SolarWorld's chairman of the board, stressing the importance of the new plant for his company. "We manufacture ultra-thin wafers from solar silicon, and process them into solar cells and modules." For Asbeck, one thing is certain: "In a few years, solar power from your rooftop will be cheaper than power from an electrical outlet."

The integrated production network includes an Evonik monosilane plant. In the second plant in the network, JSSI takes the monosilane and uses it to manufacture solar silicon. The Rheinfelden facility will start with an annual production capacity of 850 metric tons of solar silicon. Based on the steady international demand for solar power products, both joint venture partners see a substantial market for the new technology. The process was developed by JSSI in cooperation with universities.

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/85628/evonik-and-solarworld-open-new-solar-silicon-plant.html