Sanyo and Nippon Oil Form Joint Venture for Solar Cells

Nippon Oil (Eneos) and Sanyo Electric are a creating a joint company to produce thin-film solar cells starting January 23rd 2009.

For the joint company, Sanyo will take charge of the development of manufacturing technologies for thin-film solar cells as well as the production of cells and modules. And Eneos will be responsible for the construction of large-scale power generation systems using the modules as well as the distribution and sale of the products. Eneos will also provide material technologies for gases (eg, hydrogen gas) required in the cell production, the company said.

"The establishment of the new company is part of our efforts to become a comprehensive energy provider based on solar cells, fuel cells and rechargeable batteries, which are like the 'three musketeers of batteries,'" Eneos President Shinji Nishio said.

Sanyo Eneos Solar targets at a production scale of 80MW per year with an energy conversion efficiency of 10% on a trial basis in fiscal 2010.

http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20090126/164568/