Solar cell silver paste maker Heraeus has announced it plant in Singapore will begin operations in November. Capacity will also be added in Taiwan in 2012 according to previous plans, said Heraeus.
According to Heraeus, silver paste is a key ingredient for the solar cells as it affects the conversion efficiency more significantly than conductive paste. The quality of the silver paste is very important as market demand has been shifting toward high efficiency solar cells, added Heraeus.
Due to the increasing price of silver, silver paste accounts for 3-5% of the total cost of solar cells despite the relatively small amounts used.
The price of silver has been falling recently from US$40/ounce to US$30/ounce, which is beneficial for the solar cell firms.
Despite fluctuations in the solar market, Heraeus indicated its plans for the Singapore plant to begin production remain unchanged. Monthly capacity at the plant is estimated to be 20 tons. Heraeus plans to set up production lines in Taiwan in 2012 with monthly capacity expected at around 10 tons.
Heraeus' competitor, Taiwan-based Giga Solar reported September revenues of NT$280 million (US$9.2 million), representing a 18% on-month decrease. The figure was much lower than market expectations.
Article translated by Jackie Chang
