The SisAl Pilot project produces solar-grade silicon from Spanish quartz without using coal and with zero CO2 emissions. The company behind the project claims that the process.
Why is silicon a strategic issue for the photovoltaic sector?
Currently (2012–2013) more than 90% of all solar cells produced are based on this vast group of technologies. The availability, the cost and the quality to the silicon feedstock is therefore a strategic issue of paramount importance for the entire photovoltaic sector.
Is there a process for polycrystalline solar-grade silicon production?
However, Elkem of Norway developed a process for polycrystalline solar-grade silicon production and is building a 5000 metric tons plant . The major problem of the chemical route is that it involves the production of chlorosilanes and reactions with hydrochloric acid.
How is solar grade silicon produced?
However, the vast majority of solar grade silicon (>90%) is still produced by the historical so called “Siemens” process applying chemical vapor deposition/CVD of high purity trichlorosilane/TCS/SiHCl 3 on a hot filament as this class of process currently is the only one available from technology suppliers and engineering firms.
What is the cost driver for solar grade silicon production?
In spite of the confusion on absolute cost, there is general agreement that the single largest operational cost driver for solar grade silicon production is energy consumption. Large energy consumption impacts negatively silicon economics, energy pay-back time and carbon emissions of PV.
Who makes solar-grade silicon?
SilBuCam, a Spanish consulting firm that specializes in metallurgical processes, is producing solar-grade silicon as part of the SisAl Pilot project in Spain. It is led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and involves 22 companies from nine countries on three continents, with a budget of €14 million ($13.9 million).
Are solar cells a viable alternative to traditional polysilicon processes?
In the middle of the last decade hundreds of projects were announced to expand production capacity (both through debottlenecking, brown field projects and green field projects) as well as to develop new low energy, low cost processes more suitable for solar cells than the traditional and proprietary high cost, hyper purity polysilicon processes.