Saint-Gobain Vitrage And Shell In Partnership To Produce Photovoltaic Panels

This company, named AVANCIS, will construct production facilities in Torgau, Germany (Saxony). The initial capacity of the plant will be 20 MW, to be rapidly scaled up. Production should commence in 2008.



The photovoltaic panels produced by AVANCIS will use the CIS technology. This innovative technology, developed by Shell, is based on Copper-Indium-Selenium thin-film deposited on glass, and does not incorporate the traditional silicon. It offers high electrical efficiency, and is potentially very cost competitive.



Saint-Gobain Vitrage will bring its in-depth know-how of thin-film coating and glass processing. The new AVANCIS plant will be built nearby the production facilities operated by Saint-Gobain Glass in Torgau.



This operation is in line with European Union procedures. It follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the two partners in February 2006.