Toyo Aluminium to Expand Solar Cell Related Al Products

Osaka based Toyo Aluminium is expanding powder and sheet products applied to solar cells. The firm examines output increase of aluminium paste for solar cell electrodes, whose demand is growing mainly in Europe. The firm also plans to more than double output capacity of solar cell module back sheets by establishment of a new plant in Guangdong, China.Toyo Aluminium supplies aluminium paste for solar cell electrodes. By applying and baking the paste on silicon substrates of silicon solar cells, the paste represents high power conversion efficiency. The firm produces the paste at Hino plant, Shiga, Japan, which can be applied to silicon solar cells.Solar cell module back sheets are multi-layer films which prevent semiconductor cells of solar cell modules from moisture absorbent. The sheets can be applied to any solar cells including silicon type and thin film type. Toyo Aluminium plans to expand the output capacity of back sheets to meet strong demand. The firm will construct another productive line at Yao plant, Osaka, Japan and a subsidiary plant in Kanagawa, Japan to start operation during August-September 2008. In Guangdong, China, the firm will establish a new plant with 4 productive lines starting operation in September 2009. The total capex is 2.5 billion yen and the total output capacity will almost double.