HPQ Silicium's PUREVAP™ Process Shows Potential for Lower Solar Grade Silicon Costs
HPQ Silicium Inc. has highlighted the potential of its PUREVAP™ UMG process to significantly reduce operating expenses for producing solar grade silicon (SoG-Si).
Quebec-based HPQ Silicium Inc. announced that its proprietary PUREVAP™ UMG process shows potential for substantially lowering production costs for solar grade silicon (SoG-Si).
The company claims the process can yield SoG-Si at an operating expenditure (OPEX) of $5-6 per kilogram. This is significantly below the industry's current average unit costs, estimated at around $15 per kilogram at 2018 demand levels, potentially rising to nearly $20 per kilogram to meet anticipated 2020 demand.
While component costs for solar power have decreased steadily, reducing the production expense of raw materials like silicon has remained a challenge. HPQ's PUREVAP™ process, based on plasma technology developed by PyroGenesis Canada Inc., aims to address this by transforming quartz (SiO2) into high purity silicon metal (4N+ Si) in a single step.
HPQ believes these reduced operating costs will provide a considerable market advantage for the company and its partners, such as solar cell manufacturer Apollon Solar. This development is part of broader industry efforts to decrease solar energy production costs globally.