PV Crystalox Solar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| PV Crystalox Solar plc | |
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| Type | Public (LSE: PVCS) |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK |
| Key people | Maarten Henderson (Chairman) Dr. Iain Dorrity (CEO) Dr. Peter Finnegan (CFO) Dr. Hubert Aulich (Director) |
| Industry | solar energy |
| Products | silicon ingots, blocks and wafers |
| Market Cap | £692 million[1] |
| Revenue | ▲ €263.40 million (2007)[2] |
| Website | crystalox.com |
PV Crystalox Solar plc is a public limited company based in the United Kingdom which manufactures photovoltaic solar energy materials. It is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index of companies.
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[edit] History
Crystalox was established as a private limited company in 1982 in the town of Wantage in Oxfordshire specialising in the design and manufacture of equipment for purification and crystal growth of metals, alloys, semiconductors and electro-optic materials. In 1990 the company started their pioneering development of industrial production systems for directional solidification of multicrystalline silicon for the solar cell industry.
In 1994, there was a management buy-out by 6 senior managers. 1997 saw the incorporation of PV Silicon AG in Erfurt, Germany, a specialist silicon wafer producer. A strategic partnership was formed between Crystalox and PV Silicon in 1999, which progressed to the merging of the two companies in 2002 and the incorporation of PV Crystalox AG. In 2006, the decision was taken to build a silicon production plant in Germany.[3]
In June 2007, the company made a successful debut on the London Stock Exchange to raise additional funds for in-house silicon production and to further expand its international business. In September 2007, the group became a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.[4]
[edit] Technology and products
The company's industrial focus comprises the production of the high-purity polysilicon raw material, melting and crystallization of the silicon to form ingots, and converting the ingots into thin wafers.
These wafers are then sold to the photovoltaics industry, where these wafers are then transformed into solar cells using semiconductor processing technology, linked together in strings and laminated between glass and plastic sheets to form durable modules.
[edit] Future developments
In order to complement externally contracted supplies of polysilicon, the company has begun construction of its own polysilicon production facility in Bitterfeld, Germany.[5] Commercial production will start in 2009, with a projected output of 900MT in the first year of operation, increasing to 1800MT in 2011.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ PV Crystalox Solar plc (PVCS). London Stock Exchange. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
- ^ a b Preliminary Results for the year ended 31st December 2007. PV Crystalox Solar plc. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
- ^ History. PV Crystalox Solar plc. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
- ^ FTSE 250 Index Constituents. FTSE Group. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
- ^ Corporate strategy. PV Crystalox Solar plc. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
