"Crucial Efforts to Improve Solar Power Efficiency and Cost for 'Carbon Neutrality'... Establishment of Joint Corporate R&D Center"

500 Billion Invested... Completion of 100MW Pilot Line in Daejeon Science Business Belt by June 2022
Shared Use by Solar Power Companies
Achieving 35% Solar Cell Efficiency by 2030... "Technology 2 Years Ahead of Overseas"

Solar module quality testing scene. (Photo by Hanwha Q CELLS) [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government announced that it has established a joint corporate research center to achieve breakthrough improvements in solar power efficiency and price competitiveness, which are essential for reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

On the 1st, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it finalized the organizations to carry out the 'Solar Power Corporate Joint Utilization Research Center' project on the 2nd, including the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (lead), Daejeon Technopark, Korea University, and Chungnam National University (participants).

Utilization Plan for the Joint Research Center of Solar Power Companies. (Data provided by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)

The research center establishment project is one of the key tasks of the Green New Deal announced in the 'Korean New Deal Comprehensive Plan' last July.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy included the project budget in the third supplementary budget this year. In September, it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with domestic solar power industry players. The center will be built on a 9,840㎡ (approximately 3,000 pyeong) site within the International Science Business Belt in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.

An official from the ministry said, "To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, it is necessary to drastically improve the efficiency and unit cost of solar power products," adding, "We expect the research center to lead the ultra-gap technological innovation of our solar power industry."

The Korea Photovoltaic Industry Association stated, "Through the establishment of the research center, the R&D capabilities of our companies will be further strengthened," and "In particular, collaborative R&D with small, medium, and specialized material, parts, and equipment companies will be actively conducted, enhancing the overall stability and competitiveness of the domestic solar power industry ecosystem."

Aerial view of the Solar Power Company Shared Research Center and the building's functions. (Source: Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)

About 50 billion KRW (government 25 billion KRW, local government 21 billion KRW, etc.) will be invested over three years until 2022. The goals include verifying mass production feasibility of domestic materials, parts, and equipment; joint technology development among companies; and building infrastructure for performance and efficiency certification.

First, a 100MW-class pilot line will be established to promote the development of next-generation solar cells that domestic solar cell and module companies, as well as related material, parts, and equipment companies, can jointly use. It will verify how much solar power equipment can be mass-produced.

Pilot line process configuration. (Source: Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)

If necessary, public research institutions such as the Korea Institute of Energy Technology and the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology will support joint technology development among industry players. The center aims to have world-class performance and efficiency measurement capabilities similar to Germany's Fraunhofer and the United States' NREL.

Currently, receiving performance and measurement services from overseas institutions costs at least 2 million KRW and takes 1 to 2 months. If domestic institutions are fostered, costs can be reduced by up to 50%, and the duration shortened to within one week.

Location of the Joint Utilization Research Center for Solar Power Companies. (Source: Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)

The ministry plans to form a research center operation committee within this month to discuss pilot line design, equipment procurement specifications, and future center operation plans.

The research center is scheduled to begin construction in June next year and be completed by June 2022. A ministry official said, "The center will be operated so that the industry can utilize it as soon as the module line construction is completed in January 2022."

The ministry also announced support for the development of mass production technology for 'tandem solar cells' aiming to achieve 35% solar cell efficiency by 2030. Achieving this goal would secure technology that is more than two years ahead of overseas competitors.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.