Toyo Aluminium to Raise Solar Cell Electrode Ink Output to 5,000t/y

Osaka based aluminium manufacturer, Toyo Aluminium plans to increase production of ALSOLAR, aluminium ink for solar cells, at Hino plant in Shiga, Japan and 2 affiliate companies in China with total investment of 2.7 billion yen by the end of March 2012. The firm aims to expand the annual output volume by more than 4 times from the present and raise the global share to 50% in fiscal 2012 ending March 2013. ALSOLAR is electrode ink for silicon based solar cells, 70% of which is consisted of aluminium powder.

Toyo Aluminium will size up productive tanks at Hino plant within this year and double the output capacity to 2,400 tonnes per year. Then the firm will introduce additional productive lines at 2 affiliates in China, Toyal Zhaoqing in Guangdong and Hunan NingXiang JiWeiXin Metal Powder in Hunan.

Toyal Zhaoqing will introduce an additional productive line to the existent line while Hunan NingXiang JiWeiXin Metal Powder will construct a new factory with 2 productive lines in addition to the existent factory with one productive line. The construction is scheduled in April 2011 for the first phase and in March 2012 for the second phase.

Total ALSOLAR production is expected to exceed 4,000 tonnes in fiscal 2011 and reach 5,000 tonnes in 2012.

Toyo Aluminium’s non-consolidated net sales were 67 billion yen in fiscal 2009, plus by 2.8% from fiscal 2008, with 123% year-to-year higher recurring profit of 3.8 billion yen. For fiscal 2010, the firm targets 102 billion yen of net sales and 7.3 billion yen of recurring profit. The sales are expected to reach 100 billion yen for the first time.