Speciality metals refiner 5N Plus has signed an MOU supply agreement with Abound Solar to supply high-purity cadmium telluride and cadmium sulphide materials for the CdTe thin film start-up’s module manufacturing operations. First Solar, the leading thin film producer, is 5N Plus’ largest customer. Abound Solar has also signed a long-term module recycling contract with 5N Plus that includes manufacturing scrap that will also be fully recycled.
“This recycling agreement with Abound Solar is in line with our strategy aimed at providing value to our customers as they develop product stewardship schemes and aim to optimize product life cycles,” remarked Jacques L’Écuyer, 5N Plus president/CEO. “We intend to continue to invest in our new facility in Wisconsin to recycle Abound’s solar modules and expand our capabilities in this area. Our relationship with Abound is further strengthened by our memorandum of understanding and we are excited about the prospects of further developing our cadmium telluride and cadmium sulphide business.”
Abound Solar President/CEO Tom Tiller commented, “5N Plus is a leading producer of semiconductor materials; their expertise will maximize recycling yields and create a true cradle-to-cradle solution for the materials used in our product.”
Abound Solar started ramping the first line in its initial volume (200MW capacity) production plant in Colorado in April 2009.
