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Automated photovoltaic cell and Module industrial Production to regain and secure European Renewable Energy market

Fact Sheet

Result in Brief

Reporting

Results

Objective

Today’s world PV market is dominated by standard crystalline solar cells (so-called Al-BSF cells) and part of the market is shifting to PERC solar cells. The shift is obtained by introducing three additional process steps to the standard process (rear side cleaning, passivation and laser opening), and allows a gain of typically 1% absolute in efficiency. Next generation c-Si technologies should feature higher voltage solar cells with higher efficiency and less processing steps in the manufacturing, allowing for further cost reduction, both at the PV panel level and for the final cost of solar electricity. AMPERE focuses on technologies with such a potential and capitalizes on the high tech investments made in Europe over the last decade for establishing advanced manufacturing processes for crystalline silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells and modules, on the development of hardware capable of coating at high speed and low cost homogeneous materials of high electronic quality. It also bases on the unique expertise gained in production of thin film modules, and in all hardware issues related to large area coatings in production environment, which can applied for the production of SHJ cells and modules. The final goal of the project is t the setting-up of a 100 MW full-scale automated pilot line in production environment at the 3Sun fab, while preparing the next steps to 300 MW and GW scale. The project will operate with the support of full technology platforms for solar cells at CEA and the platform for advanced module technologies at MBS. It will demonstrate practically the ultra-low cost potential of such manufacturing approaches, as well as the even more impressively low solar electricity generation costs thanks to high efficiency and/or intrinsic bifaciality of the selected technologies.

Programme(s)

H2020-EU.3.3.2. - Low-cost, low-carbon energy supply

Topic(s)

LCE-09-2016 - Increasing the competitiveness of the EU PV manufacturing industry

Call for proposal

H2020-LCE-2016-RES-IA

See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

IA - Innovation action

Coordinator

ENEL GREEN POWER SPA

Address

Viale Regina Margherita 125
00198 Roma

Italy

Activity type

Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)

EU Contribution

€ 8 765 433,26

Contact the organisation

3SUN SRL

Address

Contrada Blocco Torrazze Zona Industriale
95121 Catania

Italy

Activity type

Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)

Website

Contact the organisation

Participants (13)

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Meyer Burger Research AG

Switzerland

MEYER BURGER AG

Switzerland

COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES

France

EU Contribution

€ 2 662 273,75

AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILE

Italy

EU Contribution

€ 566 387,50

CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA - RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENT

Switzerland

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE

Switzerland

NORSUN AS

Norway

EU Contribution

€ 506 141,13

ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT LIMITED

United Kingdom

EU Contribution

€ 440 755

JONAS & REDMANN AUTOMATIONSTECHNIK GMBH

Germany

EU Contribution

€ 630 199,50

SEMILAB FELVEZETO FIZIKAI LABORATORIUM RESZVENYTARSASAG

Hungary

EU Contribution

€ 401 187,50

CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE

Italy

EU Contribution

€ 253 062,50

RISE TECHNOLOGY SRL

Italy

EU Contribution

€ 243 337,50

FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.

Germany

EU Contribution

€ 483 287,50

Project information

AMPERE

Grant agreement ID: 745601

Project website

Status

Ongoing project

Start date

1 May 2017
End date

30 April 2020

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.

Overall budget:

€ 26 557 003,75
EU contribution

€ 14 952 065,14

Coordinated by:

ENEL GREEN POWER SPA

Italy

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Last update: 29 July 2019

DE EN ES FR IT PL

Cutting-edge solar panel and cell technology to restore Europe’s leading position in photovoltaics

The sustainability of photovoltaics (PVs) has rapidly improved in recent years, but the European PV manufacturing industry has been struggling to be competitive in the global arena. An EU initiative is looking to reverse this trend.

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES

ENERGY

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT

“The European PV industry can’t fall behind; it must reclaim its market share to become a major player in the energy transition and address its energy independence,” says Claudio Colletti, coordinator of the EU-funded AMPERE project. To tackle this issue, it’s developing PV modules that are more efficient and reliable with a longer shelf life. “These modules will ensure high efficiency and energy production levels on the one hand, and low deterioration rates on the other.” To produce the PV bifacial silicon heterojunction technology (HJT) modules and solar cells, AMPERE is developing a sustainable, full-scale automated 200 MW manufacturing line. It will be set up for production in an industrial environment at one of the largest PV production plants in Europe based in Catania, Sicily. The factory will work on a continuous cycle, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and will produce about 1 400 PV panels a day, making about 500 000 a year. A trailblazing PV-cell-and-module manufacturing plant Team members are converting the Italian plant’s silicon thin-film production line into a production line that can manufacture HJT modules and cells for greater cell efficiency and more PV module power. To do so, they have upgraded the obsolete technology facilities into an innovative industry 4.0 plant “that can be a springboard for a new network of PV manufacturing plants to be established in Europe,” says Colletti. Project partners created a new assembly line of monocrystalline cells for the production of the panels with bifacial architecture. They installed a new production line for HJT cells. The newly-fabricated HJT solar modules are expected to enhance electricity production capacity by 15 % compared with the PV market mainstream technologies. This will lower the cost of produced electrical energy. The manufacturing plant in Catania started production in summer 2019 with a ramp-up to full production capacity of 200 MWp/y. Many process developments are in the qualification phase and will be integrated into the manufacturing line. Reliability studies on materials and modules are underway and will be made available to the scientific community when complete. The main results of this first production phase will be presented at major industry conferences. Powering up the European PV ecosystem The AMPERE team is conducting a series of studies to validate the technical, economic and environmental sustainability of the new technology and the 200 MW production plant. The viability of the technology in terms of throughput, reliability, costs, efficiency and project bankability will be demonstrated, showing the final products’ potential for cost and performance competitiveness. “Our ultimate goal is to regain a competitive edge across the entire PV value chain, from materials to equipment and cell and module manufacturers, by developing innovative manufacturing solutions at a competitive cost for the European PV industry,” concludes Colletti. “This should pave the way for the first factory in Europe capable of producing a gigawatt peak of electricity-generating capacity.”

Keywords

AMPERE, photovoltaics (PVs), cell, heterojunction technology (HJT), manufacturing plant, PV module, solar, production plant, electricity, bifacial

Project information

AMPERE

Grant agreement ID: 745601

Project website

Status

Ongoing project

Start date

1 May 2017
End date

30 April 2020

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.

Overall budget:

€ 26 557 003,75
EU contribution

€ 14 952 065,14

Coordinated by:

ENEL GREEN POWER SPA

This project is featured in...

CORDIS RESULTS PACK

Harnessing solar power: The future shines bright

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES

ENERGY

Last update: 29 July 2019

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Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AMPERE (Automated photovoltaic cell and Module industrial Production to regain and secure European Renewable Energy market)

Reporting period: 2017-05-01 to 2018-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Today’s world PV market is dominated by standard crystalline solar cells and part of the market is shifting to PERC solar cells. Next generation c-Si technologies should feature higher efficency solar cells with less processing steps in the manufacturing, allowing for further cost reduction, both at PV panel level and for the final cost of solar electricity.
Within this framework, the aim of AMPERE is to develop an EU innovative and sustainable manufacturing full-scale automated industrial pilot line (TRL7-8), to produce bifacial heterojunction technology (HJT) silicon solar cells and modules. Technical, Economic and Environmental sustainability of the production line will be demonstrated. In particular the high efficiency and intrinsic bifaciality of the selected technology will ensure higher annual energy production and hence significantly lower LCOE than conventional technologies. These expected outcomes will be assessed and evaluated as a solid backbone to pave the way to the 1 GWp factory scaling up in Europe.
The expected impact of AMPERE is a regain of competitiveness in the entire EU PV value chain (from materials, to equipment and cell/module manufacturers). It is based on a unique consortium, with worldwide experience in the field of coatings, HJT cell and module processing, which capitalize on one decade of advanced industrialization and development in the field. It is also based on the unique expertise gained in production of thin film modules in the previous EGP Catania production environment, which can be applied for the production of HJT cells and modules.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

AMPERE Logo

Project information

AMPERE

Grant agreement ID: 745601

Project website

Status

Ongoing project

Start date

1 May 2017
End date

30 April 2020

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.

Overall budget:

€ 26 557 003,75
EU contribution

€ 14 952 065,14

Coordinated by:

ENEL GREEN POWER SPA

This project is featured in...

CORDIS RESULTS PACK

Harnessing solar power: The future shines bright

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES

ENERGY

Last update: 29 July 2019

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Last update: 14 June 2019

Record number: 209763

CORDIS

Objective

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Participants (13)

Project information

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Cutting-edge solar panel and cell technology to restore Europe’s leading position in photovoltaics

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Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AMPERE (Automated photovoltaic cell and Module industrial Production to regain and secure European Renewable Energy market)

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CORDIS

Objective

Coordinator

Participants (13)

Project information

This project is featured in...

Cutting-edge solar panel and cell technology to restore Europe’s leading position in photovoltaics

Keywords

Project information

This project is featured in...

Discover other articles in the same domain of application

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AMPERE (Automated photovoltaic cell and Module industrial Production to regain and secure European Renewable Energy market)

Project information

This project is featured in...

Deliverables

Publications

Project information

This project is featured in...

Project information

This project is featured in...

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