Jun 17, 2008 | Amsterdam Nuon chooses location for factory to produce solar cell laminate
Energy company Nuon has decided to start building a factory for the large-scale production of solar cell laminate. This production facility will be located on the Kleefse Waard industrial park in Arnhem, alongside the Nuon Helianthos test factory, which is currently under construction.
The construction of the test factory on the Kleefse Waard industrial park in Arnhem is on schedule. The aim is to commission the test production line in the new factory in September. The official opening of the test factory will take place a few months later.
As its next step Nuon has decided to invest in the first factory for the large-scale production of this solar cell laminate. The production facility is to be built next to the test factory. Several locations were considered for the production factory. The offer made by the province of Gelderland and the municipality of Arnhem proved the most attractive to Nuon Helianthos.
The global demand for affordable solar power is enormous, so it is important to bring to the market as soon as possible a product that meets this demand.
"Parallel to the construction of the test factory we are working on the production process for the solar cell laminate," says Gert Jan Jongerden, director of Nuon Helianthos. "Both product and process will be further optimised in the test factory. In collaboration with several knowledge institutes we are working making the solar cell laminate even more efficient."
"We see great potential for this product," adds Øystein Løseth, chairman of the Management Board of Nuon, "especially in the light of our ambitions in the field of renewable dispersed generation. Although the product and the process have not yet been fully developed, the results to date are so promising that we want to make a start now on the construction of the production facility."
From innovative idea to industrial production
Nuon Helianthos is developing a pliable laminate with thin-film solar cells. The solar cell laminate is light and flexible and therefore easy to integrate into all types of products.
Initially, the solar cell laminate of Nuon Helianthos will be produced for use in the building industry, such as incorporating it into roof covering and for cladding façade panels. Other uses may follow at a later stage.
The technology makes it possible to produce on a large scale at low cost. In this way solar energy will be a lot more attractive to business and consumers in the future.
About Nuon
Nuon is an ambitious energy company, serving more than three million consumers and organisations with over 10,000 employees in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Nuon produces, transports and delivers electricity, gas, heating and cooling, and engages in energy trading in the major international markets. Nuon also supplies additional services and technological innovations to businesses and consumers. In doing so, Nuon aims to provide a reliable, sustainable and affordable energy supply.
With a turnover of EUR 5.7 billion in 2007, Nuon occupies a prominent position in the Dutch energy market. The shares are held by local and regional authorities.