Singulus, PTiP unveils its CIGS Photovoltaic Pilot Production facility in South Africa

In the presence of numerous honorary guests from Germany and South Africa including high-ranking politicians, business and technical partners, Photovoltaic Technology Intellectual Property (Pty) Limited (PTiP) will officially launch the successful commissioning of its pilot production line for the manufacturing of CIGS thin-film solar modules. SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES (SINGULUS) supplied the engineering technology and support for the key production processes.

PTiP, a spin-off from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), has already been working on the development of CIGS solar modules for the past 20 years. The demonstration plant in the Techno Park near Stellenbosch was established on the back of the critical success demonstrated in the UJ research laboratories. This facility will serve as a state-of-the-art research and development facility for commercial-scale and market ready 1200 mm x 600 mm CIGS modules. The commercial development of the PTiP process is in the limelight of the South African government. The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is a strategic shareholder and financially support of the expansion by PTiP in Techno Park. PTiP received additional financial support from the “Technology Innovation Agency” (TIA), an initiative of Department of Science and Technology. With the new CIGS line, the development of modules can be improved with particular regard to the efficiency and the special demands of the African market.

The project also attained particular interest in the course of the German-South African Science Initiative.

Prof. Vivian Alberts, CEO of PTiP, comments: “The commissioning and official opening of this CIGS pilot facility in South Africa confirms the goals of the South African government to support and promote alternative and renewable energies, based on locally developed IP and skills. It is an important step for a successful energy policy in our country.” Prof. Alberts adds: “The immediate goal is to set-up a commercially viable production plant for CIGS thin-film modules in South Africa in order to supply products with high local content to existing and future PV projects in South Africa. The European Investment Bank already announced its support for the establishment of a PTiP production plant and the mass production of PV modules. With the core production equipment and support from our partner, SINGULUS, we are able to industrially and efficiently implement our developed process.”

SINGULUS has been working with the scientists from the University of Johannesburg for the past 3 years and in the course of the cooperation already delivered the first laboratory systems in 2011. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Rinck, CEO of the SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, remarks: “With the vacuum coating, the selenization as well as two work steps in the wet-chemical area, in total we supplied four key process steps for a CIGS line. With our partner PTiP, we intend to continue to successfully implement the additional expansion stages as well.”