Hanwha Q Cells accelerates solar cell R&D to maximize benefits from US IRA

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Business

Sat, September 23, 2023 | 13:29

Hanwha Q Cells accelerates solar cell R&D to maximize benefits from US IRA

Posted : 2022-10-13 13:00

Updated : 2022-10-13 17:26

A solar cell production line at Hanwha Solutions Q Cells Division's Jincheon plant in North Chungcheong Province / Courtesy of Hanwha Solutions

Solar panel maker seeks to mass-produce cells using perovskite by 2026

By Park Jae-hyuk

JINCHEON, North Chungcheong Province ― Thousands of pieces of equipment and hundreds of robots test the mass production of high-performance TOPCon solar cells on a 300-meter production line, inside a factory of Hanwha Solutions Q Cells Division in the county of Jincheon.

Although more than 2,000 employees work for the Jincheon plant, most of them do not work next to noisy assembly lines, as the plant has evolved into a "smart" factory, automating the entire process. Most workers monitor the transportation of products and quality of finished goods inside control rooms.

Based on the advanced technologies, Hanwha Q Cells has been seeking to mass-produce TOPCon, which stands for "tunnel oxide passivated contact," by next April. According to the company, the new type of solar cell improves efficiency, as it is designed to minimize electrical loss.

"Although we have lagged behind Chinese rivals in the development of TOPCon, we are confident of overwhelming them technologically next year," a Hanwha Q Cells official said during Wednesday's press conference at the factory.

Hanwha Q Cells plans to utilize TOPCon to expand its presence in the fast-growing U.S. solar energy market. The company expects the size of exports from the Jincheon plant to rise to at least 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) next year from 1.7 trillion won this year.

Amid the downturn in Korea's renewable energy market, Hanwha Q Cells aims to supply high-performance solar modules designed for residential and commercial buildings in the U.S.

In particular, the company is set to capitalize on the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, intended to increase the reliance on renewable energy sources there.

Once its Dalton plant in the U.S. state of Georgia succeeds in reaching an annual production capacity of 3.1 gigawatts by the second half of next year, Hanwha Q Cells expects its ongoing global expansion to gain momentum.

A prototype of a tandem cell using perovskite and silicon / Courtesy of Hanwha Solutions

In order to maximize the benefits from the new U.S. law, the solar panel maker is also trying to mass-produce perovskite-based tandem cells by June 2026.

"Perovskite is a low-cost mineral," the Hanwha Q Cells official said. "Compared to silicon-based cells, perovskite-based products at the same thickness can absorb more sunlight. They are therefore more cost-efficient."

According to Hanwha Q Cells, its researchers in Germany have collaborated with Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, a solar cell technology research institute, to develop tandem cells using both perovskite and silicon, which is regarded as an intermediary step to developing cells using perovskite only.

"By focusing on the research and development of tandem cells, we will become the world's leading company in the solar energy market," the Hanwha Q Cells official said.

The company, however, has not only focused on foreign markets, but also made efforts to establish infrastructure in Korea for the domestic use of renewable energies.

"The Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry's latest survey showed 15 percent of Korean firms were asked by their global clients to use renewable energies. As for large firms, three out of 10 received such requests," a Hanwha Solutions official said. "Unless the supply of renewable energies is increased in Korea, domestic firms will face setbacks in pursuing RE100 (the global initiative of corporations committed to 100-percent renewable energies), due to the shortage of such energies."

pjh@koreatimes.co.kr