Praxair Electronics has won three new contracts with solar customers in China. Under the new contracts, Praxair is supplying:
• silane, ammonia and bulk atmospheric gases to ShanXi LuAn Solar Energy in Changzhi, Shanxi Province;
• silane to Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co. Ltd in Jiangsu Province; and
• silane and ammonia to Realforce Solar, a subsidiary of Realforce Group in Jining, Shandon Province.
ShanXi LuAn Solar Energy is a producer of crystalline silicon solar ingots, wafers and modules and is expected to increase its production capacity to 1 gigawatt within two years. Trina Solar Energy was founded in 1997 and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2006. Trina Solar Energy has developed a fully integrated business, from the production of monocrystalline and multicrystalline silicon ingots, wafers and cells to assembly of high quality modules. Realforce Solar is a producer of polysilicon solar cells and modules with 60 megawatts of annual capacity and plans to achieve 480 megawatts of annual capacity. Its product will be used to set up megawatt-scale solar photovoltaic on-grid power stations in China and will be exported to Europe and Australia.
“Praxair’s gas and deposition material offerings play a key role in helping leading solar companies drive the cost competitiveness required to grow the industry,” said Anne Roby, president of Praxair Electronics. “With more than 15 major new solar contracts over the past year, Praxair will continue its support of the rapidly growing solar supply chain as countries around the world look to diversify their energy supply.”
Praxair Electronics currently serves more than 50 solar fabs worldwide, with a combined capacity of over 6 gigawatts, and is the largest industrial gas supplier to the polysilicon market. Praxair’s gas products, delivery systems and technologies are provided globally throughout the solar supply chain, enabling the production of crystalline and thin-film solar cells. Gas offerings include bulk, on-site and specialty gases such as nitrogen, hydrogen, silane, ammonia, high purity argon, phosphorous and boron dopants, together with associated distribution equipment.
Praxair also offers a full line of planar and tubular sputtering targets for the deposition of metal and transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin-film layers which are critical to the performance of photovoltaic devices. Praxair is a leader in the development of AZO, copper, nickel vanadium and aluminum next-generation tubular targets, which enable more cost-effective fabrication of thin-film photovoltaic cells.
About Praxair China
Praxair (China) Investment Co., Ltd is a leading industrial gas provider in China. It is headquartered in Shanghai, has 20 wholly owned companies, 9 joint ventures and over 1300 employees in the country. More information on Praxair China is available on the Internet at www.praxair.cn.
About Praxair Electronics
Praxair Electronics is dedicated to the development of innovative process materials that help producers of integrated circuits, liquid-crystal displays, light-emitting diodes and solar cells to lower the cost of ownership, reduce environmental impact and improve productivity. Praxair Electronics offers these manufacturers a strong, integrated source of process gases, materials supply and related equipment and services in Asia, Europe and North America.
About Praxair
Praxair, Inc. is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2009 sales of nearly $9 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies bring productivity and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others. More information on Praxair is available on the Internet at www.praxair.com.
