PVTIME – The German solar silicon wafer manufacturer NexWafe has officially signed a supply agreement for silicon wafers with the US solar cell producer Talon PV. Under the agreement, NexWafe will supply almost 7GW of its patented, self-developed silicon wafers from its pilot production line in Bitterfeld, Germany, to support Talon PV’s 4.8GW TOPCon solar cell production facility in Baytown, Texas.
Talon PV first announced its plans to build a TOPCon solar cell manufacturing plant to the media in October last year. The project faces multiple challenges, especially in a market environment where many manufacturers have engaged in mutual lawsuits over patent disputes in recent years.
NexWafe has stated that this collaboration will pave the way for future expansion into gigawatt-scale silicon wafer production in the United States, in partnership with leading industry players. The two companies also plan to collaborate on technological research and development, as well as product certification.
Leveraging NexWafe’s proprietary EpiNex gas-to-wafer technology, the collaboration will focus on improving the quality of the materials used for advanced silicon wafers, achieving ultra-low oxygen content control, and developing next-generation sintering technology. These efforts will help N-type solar cells attain higher conversion efficiency and long-term reliability.
Talon PV is headquartered in the United States and is constructing a solar cell production facility in Texas. The company has recently partnered with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Germany to establish a TOPCon solar cell pilot line in Freiburg, where NexWafe is also headquartered. Product certification for NexWafe’s first batch of EpiNex silicon wafers will be carried out at the same institute.
This collaboration is subject to both parties signing formal long-term supply documents and completing routine technical certification and investment-related approval processes.
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