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ATG Solar — Bulgaria Initiative

Production of Solar Grade Silicon (SGS)

 

ATG Solar, LLC represents a consortium of interests that is planning to build “state-of-the-art” polycrystalline silicon manufacturing facilities in Europe to meet the increasing demand from the solar PV industry.

 

Thanks to the stable energy policy and regulatory environment that has been established in many nations, plus the rising costs of conventional energy, the demand for silicon solar cells has grown at over 30% per annum for the last few years. However, this growth is now limited by the supply of the basic material from which silicon solar cells are made, namely polycrystalline silicon.

 

ATG Solar has identified a unique opportunity in Europe to establish a polycrystalline manufacturing facility and is currently carrying out the necessary due diligence and feasibility studies to meet the investment requirements for such a facility.

 

 

 

Although production of SGS is expected to increase beginning in 2008, the global demand for  SGS is expected to grow at least two times faster than the capacity to supply for the next 3 decades. This growth will ensure that the prices for SGS will remain relatively high for the foreseeable future, thus ensuring a thriving market for SGS.

In addition to the SGS manufacturing facility, the ATG Solar Team has identified opportunities to ensure a vertically integrated solar PV product business all the way to the solar systems level: 

 

ATG Solar has secured a local partner for producing ingots [2] from the SGS product.  The existing ingot facility has been in business for over a decade. They are a strategic project partner with highly skilled labor and can add significant value to the bulk SGS product by growing ingots of SGS. 

 

The next value adding step – slicing of wafers [3] from the SGS ingots can also be performed at the site – enabling ATG and/or project partners  to market and sell SGS wafers  in addition to bulk SGS.

 

ATG has also identified numerous clean room facilities in the region, which can be secured for the manufacturing of solar cells [4] – ATG has also secured access to a novel technology for solar cell manufacturing. 

 

Glass manufacturing in the area will enable ATG to complete the next step in producing PV modules by stringing and laminating [5] the cells into “laminates” – i.e. PV modules without frames. 

 

ATG Solar also has patented technology to a framing system [6] that eliminates any tools or the need for an electrician on the roof, thus dramatically reducing the overall cost of system installation (which represents over one third of the final system cost to a customer).  Patents are secured for residential as well as commercial installations.

 

The balance of system (BOS) [7] is easily obtainable, thus ensuring that the enterprise can package a complete system for any customer.

ATG Solar also has patented technology for system monitoring which will enable the team to offer maintenance and monitoring contracts for large systems.

 

ATG’s main objective is to establish a 3,000 – 5,000 tap SGS production facility. In the process of developing the business case for the SGS plant, the ATG team has identified several additional, associated business opportunities as outlined above. ATG plans to assess these secondary business opportunities as it moves ahead with the development of the SGS production facility.

The geographical location of the plant will enable ATG to be in a position to supply the regional market, Europe and the Middle East as well as ship bulk SGS, SGS wafers, cells, laminates and even complete PV systems to Asia and the America’s quite easily. 

ATG is. in the process of identifying and entering into preliminary negotiations with  leading international engineering and construction companies having the necessary capabilities to design and construct a 3000- 5000 tap SGS  plant in Bulgaria.

ATG representatives have traveled to Europe for negotiations and finalization of the SGS plant proposal numerous times over the last three years. ATG Solar expects to secure the basic technology rights and options over the industrial site and power supplies, and to appoint the full technical team to the project by the end of 2007.  The ATG Bulgaria consortium encompasses energy, business and Si process experts from the USA, Australia, Bulgaria, Russia and Germany.  We have the necessary expertise and partnerships to ensure the success of the project on every level.