Air Products has begun supplying bulk and specialty gases to Taiwan-based Green Energy Technology's new thin-film solar photovoltaic production facility. The deal calls for the long-term supply of nitrogen and silane as well as the accompanying gas delivery equipment and piping.
GET began volume production during December 2008 in its Gen-8.5 amorphous-silicon TFPV plant in Kuanyin Industrial Park, Taoyuan. The line, which features Applied Materials' SunFab turnkey module production gear capable of producing 5.7 m2 panels, is scheduled to reach an annual capacity of 30 MW in the first quarter of 2009 and reach 50 MW by the end of the year.
"Air Products is very excited to be working with GET as their gas supply partner, and we feel our expertise and complete turnkey offerings will enable a fast ramp up to meet the company’s growth plans," said Corning Painter, VP and general manager, Air Products' Global Electronics Division. "We continue to work on new offerings to drive down our customer’s cost per watt with innovative technical, product, and equipment solutions."
Air Products' solar business won more than 20 new crystalline-silicon and thin-film PV contracts in Asia last year.