Linde Signs 3 Thin Film Contracts, Captures over 50% of Market in China

These three new multi-million US dollar contracts are believed by the company to enable it to capture more than 50% of the thin film photovoltaic (PV) market in China.

As part of these long-term contracts, The Linde Group will be providing ongoing delivery of bulk and specialty gases essential to making thin film solar cells-- including large volumes of silane and hydrogen gas, used to deposit silicon light absorbing layers on large-area sheets of glass used in solar panels.

The first phase of the ENN Solar plant in Langfang will start commercial production by Q2 of 2009, with a capacity of 60MW, and possible future expansion up to 0.5GW.

Baoding Tianwei Solarfilms is working with Linde to future-proof its gas installation and supply chain. Tianwei’s new thin film solar production facility in Baoding, worth over Rmb1.2 billion (about US$180 million), will go online in the first quarter of 2009.

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