Bekaert Advanced Coatings and Soleras merge in thin-film partnership

February 7, 2012
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Private equity firm Element Partners has announced that it is to acquire both Bekaert Advanced Coatings (BAC) and Soleras Ltd, with the two companies merging to form Soleras Advanced Coatings.

BAC is the trade name of Bekaert’s industrial coatings division. Both it and the Maine-based Soleras develop equipment and rotatable targets for thin-film sputter deposition. The acquisition of BAC includes the division’s facilities in Belgium, China and Wisconsin, USA.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The headquarters of Soleras Advanced Coatings are to be located in Deinze, Belgium, with Maurice Murphy as its CEO. Mr Murphy was formerly CEO of PPC Insulators.

The new company will supply key hardware and material targets for the manufacture of thin-film PV modules, as well as for a variety of other industrial applications, including the production of displays for touch-screen devices.

“We are combining two world class companies with a range of complementary technologies to create the world’s leading manufacturer of rotatable targets and equipment,” commented Sujit Banerjee, managing director of Element Partners. “We are excited about the synergies of Soleras and Bekaert Advanced Coatings. We believe the combination of knowledge and technological expertise will improve the way we serve our customers.”

Read Next

February 9, 2026
The US federal government has withdrawn its appeal against a US Court of International Trade (CIT) ruling to retroactively collect two years of tariffs on imported solar panels.
February 9, 2026
Strike prices for solar PV in upcoming UK Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation have been forecast to be around £63-68MWh (US$86-93MWh), according to trade body, Solar Energy UK (SEUK).
February 9, 2026
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to provide dedicated support to European solar inverter manufacturers amid a call for greater energy security and strategic autonomy.
February 9, 2026
Solar manufacturer United Solar has launched a polysilicon manufacturing facility in Oman, adding 100,000 metric tons of annual production capacity.
February 9, 2026
Global electricity demand is set to grow 2.5 times as fast as overall energy demand by 2030, ushering in what the International Energy Agency (IEA) has dubbed the “Age of Electricity”.
February 9, 2026
The European Commission has approved a €3 billion (US$3.55 billion) clean energy manufacturing aid scheme from Germany.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
February 18, 2026
9am PST / 5pm GMT
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
October 13, 2026
San Francisco Bay Area, USA