REC Doubling Silicon Capaciy

Renewable Energy Corporation (Oslo:REC.OL) has initiated construction of a new production facility for granular polysilicon in Moses Lake, Washington, USA. The new plant will be built adjacent to REC's existing plant where the production is already focused on production of solar grade silicon (SOG) qualities.

REC Silicon has made substantial investments in a new proprietary technology. The new production technology features polysilicon deposition in fluidized bed reactors (FBR) instead of the more traditional thermal deposition furnaces or “Siemens reactors”. REC Silicon has run continuous test production with the FBR technology over the last year. The technology provides substantial reductions in investment and dramatic reductions in energy consumption.

The new plant is based on the FBR technology that REC has developed for production of granular solar grade polysilicon (SOG). The plant will add approximately 6,500 MT to REC's polysilicon production capacity, totaling close to 13,000 MT. SOG is used as raw material in the production of solar cells. 20-25 % of all solar cells in the world are primarily made from REC's polysilicon.

Mechanical completion of the plant is expected by the end of the first quarter 2008, with final completion and ramp-up of production in the third quarter of 2008.

REC has a very optimistic view of the solar market as can be seen from their graph, reproduced below.

Renewable Energy Corporation ASA, Høvik, NORWAY

Comments

[Jeff Olney]

I'd like to know who drew that graph, too.

Biomass grows until 2040, drops in 2090, then levels off??? What stops the biomass plunge in 2090? Why would a company chunk its reputation by drawing a graph like this? It's aridiculous graph.

[Mike @ HCVN]

If you didn't notice it, REC is the silicon supplier to Evergreen solar. They were discussed in an earlier post on the blog.

[Daniel O'Donnell]

Output to double - is this new process more efficient or are they just increasing capacity with a new plant?

Judging from their financials the company is seeing good growth: http://www.recgroup.no/default.asp?V_ITEM_ID=611&xml=/R/136555/PR/200608/1067317.xml

[disdaniel]

It is a funny graph, but mainly because they expect solar to take off in 30-40 years. What kind of company invests heavily today because their industry might take off in 30+ years?

Jeff: it is the area between the lines that indicates the technologies share; biomass doesn't drop until about 2070-2080...it then grows strongly after 2090...presumably because nuclear/gas drops precipitously at that point. Nevertheless any graph that tries to predict fuel sources 100 years out is opening itself to ridicule.

D. O'Donnell: as I read it they are doubling capacity, and as an added bonus the new process is more efficient.

[Abraham]

It is a cumulative graph. Their is a severe shortage of SOG with more coutries offering incentives, now is a great time to increase capacity and a great plus if it is even marginally more efficient.

We will see in the long run how this competes with thin film.

[DTaylor]

Can anyone give me some more perspective on the following questions:

(1) Typical capacity sizes of plants using Siemens reactors vs. FBR

(2) Primary cost components of manufacturing poly-silicon using the Siemens reactor vs. FBR (ie. % electricity, %raw feedstock, % operations/labor, etc.)?

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