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A new report by PHOTON Consulting has confirmed that the unblended use of metallurgical solar grade silicon has resulted in cell efficiencies above 14 percent and therefore has the potential to significantly reduce silicon material costs, thereby reshaping the photovoltaics industry in the near future. The report was commissioned by Timminco to provide an independent evaluation of its breakthrough metallurgical solar grade silicon processes and products of its subsidiary, Becancour.

"Operations and processes have potential for massive growth and, possibly, for reshaping the silicon industry,” declared Michael Rogol Managing Director of PHOTON Consulting. "The equipment is very impressive, very low-cost, beyond poly-scale. In interviews, several customers have reported cell efficiencies above 14 percent and some above 15 percent utilizing 100 percent (unblended) solar grade silicon from Becancour."

Timminco said in a statement that the PHOTON Consulting team had been given full access to the solar-grade silicon production facility and to relevant documentation regarding processing, R&D efforts, human resource needs and intellectual property information.

An executive summary of the report will be made available on Timminco's website at http://www.timminco.com prior to a conference call to discuss the findings on Wednesday, May 14, 2008. The report is based on a one-day facility visit by a PHOTON Consulting team in early May 2008.