Linde Nippon Sanso has been awarded the exclusive contract to supply high purity gases to a thin film solar cell manufacturing plant set up by T-Solar in Ourense, Galicia, Spain.
Under this agreement, Linde Nippon Sanso said that it will provide T-Solar with turnkey installation of the plant’s bulk and special gases supply systems and ongoing delivery of the gases essential to make thin film solar cells. These gases include large volumes of silane and hydrogen gas, used to deposit silicon light absorber layers on large area sheets of glass used in solar panels.
The thin film manufacturing technology is expected to lower the cost of solar electricity toward grid parity, making solar energy competitive with conventional grid-supplied electricity.
Andreas Guenther, president of Linde Nippon Sanso, said: As the search for renewable energy sources gains momentum globally, Linde Nippon Sanso’s collaboration with T-Solar is in line with our mission to enable solar energy to achieve grid parity and become more affordable for mass consumption.