the solsilc process

1. The Solsilc Process Energiseminar June 11th - 2008 Lars Nygaard

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3. 3 Silicon to the Photo Voltaic (PV) Industry The PV industry has historically used by-products from the electronic industry But the PV industry is growing faster than what can be delivered of by products from the electronic industry The consequence is a lack of solar grade silicon �SoG-Si� The future competitors we expect to be Optimized chemical processes with fluid bed technology Metallurgical refining processes under development Solsilc mean to have a competitive concept in this future market Let us look at the alternatives

4. 4 The three ways to Solar Grade Silicon

5. 5 The three ways to Solar Grade Silicon

6. 6 The three ways to Solar Silicon Feedstock

7. 7 Competitors down the metallurgical way Carsten K�rnig, leader of Bundesverband Solarvirtshaft believe that in 2015 will the �metallurgical way� may have conquered 50 % of the market for feedstock to solar cells Elkem Solar, Dow Corning, Ferro Atlantica, Becancour Silicon and others are working on this route as long as we know Test scale production the metallurgical way are in operation, but it is too early to appoint a single winner or some winners Solsilc Process is to our knowledge the leading process based on high purity raw materials

8. 8 Competitors down the metallurgical way Carsten K�rnig, leader of Bundesverband Solarvirtshaft believe that in 2015 will the �metallurgical way� may have conquered 50 % of the market for feedstock to solar cells Elkem Solar, Dow Corning, Ferro Atlantica, Becancour Silicon and others are working on this route as long as we know Test scale production the metallurgical way are in operation, but it is too early to appoint a single winner or some winners Solsilc Process is to our knowledge the leading process based on high purity raw materials

9. 9 The Solsilc Conception Two Whitbread sailor men met in Cape Town February 1998 Benno Wiersma, a Dutch business man with a strong belief in Solar energy Steinar Lynum, an engineer involved in the development of a pure carbon black process They soon found out that they needed some quartz to fulfill Bennos dream They contacted SINTEF and Ola Raaness got the job to find a suitable quartz The Solsilc consortium was formalized July 19th 1999

10. 10 The Solsilc development 1999 to 2006 The development of the Solsilc concept were organized in two EU-supported projects and the main partners are Benno Wiersma who financed most of the development SINTEF contributing with knowledge and other resources ScanArc, a Swedish company with plasma furnace knowledge ECN, a Dutch energy research institution Then in 2004 the partners started a search for a possible partner who could contribute in the development and finally industrialize the Solsilc concept This search lead in 2004 to an informal co-operation with FESIL, a Norwegian ferroalloy company having produced and refined silicon for many years In 2006 a formal agreement was signed between the Solsilc partners and FESIL and a new company was established

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12. 12 Important raw materials: Quartz Quartz is the most crucial raw material The Solsilc process require very pure quartz and our entrance will to a high degree influence this very limited market of to day FS has contacts with a number of quartz producers FS will during Q2-2008 sign contracts to secure future supplies of quartz with sufficient cleanness From early 2010 we will need about 15.000 t per year Expansions are planned in steps of 15.000 t quartz per year Each step of 15.000 t quartz will be a substantial volume in the world market for our quartz quality

13. 13 The Quartz The earth crust is rich in Silicon repre- senting 60 % of it�s metallic elements Silicon is bound as oxide (SiO2), but most of it is found in combination with aluminium, iron, calcium etc Fortunately substantial amounts of very pure quartz (SiO2) are found widely spread around in the world This means :

14. 14 The Quartz The earth crust is rich in Silicon repre- senting 60 % of it�s metallic elements Silicon is bound as oxide (SiO2), but most of it is found in combination with aluminium, iron, calcium etc Fortunately substantial amounts of very pure quartz (SiO2) are found widely spread around in the world This means :

15. 15 Important raw materials: Carbon Black Carbon black (CB) is also a crucial raw material We need very clean carbon black. Therefore it has to be produced from natural gas Fortunately there are much clean gas around the world One carbon black producer cover 70 % of this high purity market called thermal carbon black An agreement with this company will be signed in Q2-2008 This producer can expand and cover all our future needs We have been able to obtain fair/nice prices because Very clean natural gas is available 120 km from Trondheim Our research partner ScanArc has the necessary technology to erect a carbon black plant if we should want our own production

16. 16 Important for the process: Pure electrodes The reduction process consumes an substantial amount of electrodes Therefore the electrodes must contain a low content of aches Low ashes electrode quality is normally produced with a limitation concerning the diameter Electrodes suited for the Solsilc process have an unusual combination of big diameter and a very low ash content Fortunately more than one of the electrode producers are able to produce electrodes with this wanted combination

17. 17 The Solsilc Process in 7 steps The Solsilc Process can be described in 7 steps

18. 18 Step 1 = Agglom. 1. Agglomeration of quartz, carbon black and SiC-fines Function: Normal production of silicon uses lumpy quartz, coal and woodchips, but those materials are not clean enough The quartz and carbon black are received as fine powders Since it is high gas velocities in the reduction furnace the raw materials must be agglomerated into pellets/lumps Status: Clean binders are identified The agglomeration is optimized with a mix of selected binders An agglomeration plant can be erected by using standard industrial technology

19. 19 Step 2 = Silicon Carbide production Silicon Carbide Formation of silicon carbide (SiC) is an intermediate process in the reduction furnace. This is an energy consuming process and we want to relieve the reduction furnace from a part of this process

20. 20 Step 3 = Reduction Furnace The picture shows the 100 kW pilot furnace The charge is agglomerates made of quartz, SiC and carbon It is a big challenge to succeed to get a stable operation with such special raw materials No wood chips or coal can be used caused by their content of impurities In June 07 we produced very pure metal we now are testing through the next process steps In June 2008 it is planned a new production campaign with very pure silicon

21. 21 Step 4 = Holding Furnace 4. Holding furnaces: Tapped metal are collected and processed Function: Get dissolved carbon to precipitate as SiC particles Stir the metal to get slag/oxides out of the silicon Status: A practical method for transfer of tapped metal from the reduction furnace to the holding furnace is under evaluation We use induction furnaces, a well known technique We have good contacts with experienced furnace suppliers Some development will be needed concerning selection of optimal lining materials and controlling of the precipitation process

22. 22 Step 5 = Filtering 5. Filter Si with one or more filters Function: Stop precipitated SiC and oxides from following the metal into the casting furnace Status: Positive small scale results obtained November 2007 at SINTEF Positive full scale results obtained in December 2007 at FESILs Holla plant

23. 23 Step 6 = Casting The casting will be done in a directional solidification furnace The solidification starts in the bottom and the slowly raising freezing front squeezes most of the impurities into the liquid silicon When the top of the silicon bath finally freeze, most of the impurities are collected here in the ingot top By cutting away the ingot top the analyses of the remaining part are substantially improved

24. 24 Step 7 = Clean & Cut 7. Cleaning and cutting of the ingot Function: The planned directional solidification accumulate impurities in all rim zones and where the metal freezing front finally stops The final ingot will be thoroughly analyzed A program for optimum cutting of the ingot will be developed Status: Standard equipment for cleaning and cutting will be selected Rotating steel blades covered with diamantes is the standard Zones with much iron etc, will be sold as metallurgical silicon Zones only enriched on carbon will be returned to the reduction furnace where carbon is a necessary raw material Re-melting of silicon in this way will only cost us 0,5-1 �/kg

25. 25 The Solsilc development 2006 to 2007 FESIL went into the development of the Solsilc concept with its knowledge and long experience Some strategies were changed and the development activities were expanded A new project was established (Solsilc Demo) with support from the European Union The Norwegian Research Council supports the Solsilc development through it�s BIA-program from 2006 to 2010

26. 26 June 2007: In pilot scale (100 kW) probably the most pure silicon ever was produced in a reduction furnace The produced pure metal have been refined by directional solidification. The resulting feedstock are remelted for production of ingots for wafer cutting. This work is going on just now November 2007: The first half technical test ( 1 MW = 10 x pilot scale) was a success: The Solsilc process could be controlled in this scale. (Here we did not invest in ultra pure raw materials)

27. 27 June 2007: In pilot scale (100 kW) probably the most pure silicon ever was produced in a reduction furnace The produced pure metal have been refined by directional solidification. The resulting feedstock are remelted for production of ingots for wafer cutting. This work is going on just now November 2007: The first half technical test ( 1 MW = 10 x pilot scale) was a success: The Solsilc process could be controlled in this scale. (Here we did not invest in ultra pure raw materials)

28. 28 As mentioned before the wafer producers for many years used only very pure by-products from electronic industry But insufficient supplies of this pure silicon forced the wafer producers to evaluate use of less pure silicon Fortunately tests have now showed that the wafer producers to some degree have been spoiled by clean by-products from electronic silicon This is now opening a market for metallurgical processes that never will reach the purity obtained with normal Siemens process. Typical analyses for acceptable metallurgical based feedstock were in Munich last month roughly indicated to be Phosphorous around 1,3 ppm Boron --- � --- 0,3 ppm FESIL Sunergy has not yet announced any analyses of our expected quality, but the shown analyses are within our reach

29. 29 Further plans We prepare for erection of different test facilities from the autumn 2008 at FESILs moth balled Lilleby plant in Trondheim Our letter to the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority was mid May picked up by the press Here a possible plant in Orkanger is taken up for discussion This does not mean that Orkanger is selected, but our board of directors want to evaluate the terms/support here compared to other locations To day two people are working full time in FESIL Sunergy, but early February one person with a PhD will join our team It is very important to FESIL Sunergy to hire skilled people from the FESIL organisation. In this way we more or less double our working capacity SINTEF, ScanArc and ECN contribute with absolutely necessary R&D competence and capacity to the project FESIL Sunergy will soon go out to search for more clever people to join our small, but efficient staff

30. 30 Reduction Process Challenge When you can not use any of your normal raw materials, you have to change your habits This experience felt strange, perhaps like replacing a golf ball with a football. We managed that new game We are very glad that the ball did not feel like a curling stone. Then the project had stopped