PV Crystalox Solar
Encyclopedia
PV Crystalox Solar plc is a highly specialised supplier to the world's leading solar cell
manufacturers, producing multicrystalline silicon wafers for use in solar electricity generation systems. It has operations in in Germany
, United Kingdom
and Japan
and its headquarters are in the United Kingdom
. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange
and was a former constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
.
in 1982 in the town of Wantage
in Oxfordshire
specialising in the design and manufacture of equipment for purification
and crystal
growth of metals, alloys, semiconductors and electro-optic materials. In 1990 the company started their pioneering development of industrial production systems for directional solidification
of multicrystalline silicon for the solar cell
industry.
In 1994, there was a management buy-out by 6 senior managers. 1997 saw the incorporation of PV Silicon AG
in Erfurt
, Germany
, a specialist silicon wafer
producer. A strategic partnership was formed between Crystalox and PV Silicon in 1999, which progressed to the merging of the two companies in 2002 and the incorporation of PV Crystalox AG. In 2006, the decision was taken to build a silicon production plant in Germany.
In June 2007, the company made a successful debut on the London Stock Exchange
to raise additional funds for in-house silicon production and to further expand its international business. Between September 2007 and March 2010 the group was a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.
raw material at its factory in Bitterfeld
in Germany, melting and crystallization of the silicon to form ingot
s at various sites around Abingdon
in the UK, and converting the ingots into thin multicrystalline silicon wafers internally at the company's facility in Erfurt
in Germany and externally at subcontractors in Japan.
These wafers are then sold to major companies in the photovoltaics
industry, where they are transformed into solar cells using semiconductor processing technology, linked together in strings and laminated between glass and plastic sheets to form durable modules.
The strategy it has been following for a number of years seeks to combine low costs with production flexibility.
2011 Strategic Objectives
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
manufacturers, producing multicrystalline silicon wafers for use in solar electricity generation systems. It has operations in in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and its headquarters are in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and was a former constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
.
History
Crystalox was established as a private limited companyPrivate company limited by shares
A private company limited by shares, usually called a private limited company , is a type of company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, Scotland, that of certain Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland...
in 1982 in the town of Wantage
Wantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
specialising in the design and manufacture of equipment for purification
Purification
Purification is the process of rendering something pure, i.e. clean of foreign elements and/or pollution, and may refer to:* List of purification methods in chemistry* Water purification** Organisms used in water purification...
and crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
growth of metals, alloys, semiconductors and electro-optic materials. In 1990 the company started their pioneering development of industrial production systems for directional solidification
Directional solidification
Directional solidification and progressive solidification describe types of solidification within castings. Directional solidification describes solidification that occurs from farthest end of the casting and works its way towards the sprue...
of multicrystalline silicon for the solar cell
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
industry.
In 1994, there was a management buy-out by 6 senior managers. 1997 saw the incorporation of PV Silicon AG
Aktiengesellschaft
Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
in Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, a specialist silicon wafer
Wafer (electronics)
A wafer is a thin slice of semiconductor material, such as a silicon crystal, used in the fabrication of integrated circuits and other microdevices...
producer. A strategic partnership was formed between Crystalox and PV Silicon in 1999, which progressed to the merging of the two companies in 2002 and the incorporation of PV Crystalox AG. In 2006, the decision was taken to build a silicon production plant in Germany.
In June 2007, the company made a successful debut on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
to raise additional funds for in-house silicon production and to further expand its international business. Between September 2007 and March 2010 the group was a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.
Technology and products
The company's industrial focus comprises the production of the high-purity polysiliconPolycrystalline silicon
Polycrystalline silicon, also called polysilicon, is a material consisting of small silicon crystals. It differs from single-crystal silicon, used for electronics and solar cells, and from amorphous silicon, used for thin film devices and solar cells....
raw material at its factory in Bitterfeld
Bitterfeld
Bitterfeld is a town in the district Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2007 it has been part of the town Bitterfeld-Wolfen. It is situated approx. 25 km south of Dessau, and 30 km northeast of Halle...
in Germany, melting and crystallization of the silicon to form ingot
Ingot
An ingot is a material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. Non-metallic and semiconductor materials prepared in bulk form may also be referred to as ingots, particularly when cast by mold based methods.-Uses:...
s at various sites around Abingdon
Abingdon
Abingdon may refer to the following places:In Australia :* Abingdon, Queensland, a place in Northern QueenslandIn Britain:*Abingdon, Oxfordshire**Abingdon School**Abingdon Abbey**Abingdon Lock**Abingdon Bridge**Abingdon Air & Country Show...
in the UK, and converting the ingots into thin multicrystalline silicon wafers internally at the company's facility in Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
in Germany and externally at subcontractors in Japan.
These wafers are then sold to major companies in the photovoltaics
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
industry, where they are transformed into solar cells using semiconductor processing technology, linked together in strings and laminated between glass and plastic sheets to form durable modules.
Strategic Developments
PV Crystalox Solar remains committed to systematically enhancing its position in the PV industry as an independent producer of multicrystalline silicon wafers. By focusing on the wafer and not competing with its customers in cell production, it is able to develop strong relationships with solar cell producers. The Group intends to remain one of the PV industry’s cost leaders and to supply quality wafers at competitive prices whilst retaining attractive margins. The Group feels that this is best achieved through solid controlled growth.The strategy it has been following for a number of years seeks to combine low costs with production flexibility.
- Continued focus on operating cost reductions through: operating Bitterfeld polysilicon facility at full capacity; production efficiencies; and higher yields.
- Retain flexibility of production through:diversity in sourcing polysilicon; and diversity in wafer production.
- Continued focus on major PV companies through: enhanced relationships with existing customers; new customers in the major markets of TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. - Focus on further developments of the leading silicon processing technology through: working with customers to increase product quality and developing the next generation of wafer technology.
2011 Strategic Objectives
- Broadening customer base
- Sales to Taiwan customers expected to exceed 25% in 2011
- Continuing 10-15% cost reduction expected in 2011
- Higher wafer yields
- Lower wafering costs
- Lower internal polysilicon costs
- Ingot production capacity expansion
- 535MW by Q1 2011
- 670MW by end 2011
- Expansion to 855MW by Q4 2012 under review