The Ministry of Economy in Slovakia has announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Japanese plastics manufacturer and perovskite solar cell company Sekisui Chemical to launch local production of flexible solar panels in the country.
Sekisui claims to have achieved 15% efficiency for its thin-film perovskite solar cells that it produces using in-house developed 30 cm wide roll-to-roll manufacturing process.
The Tokyo-headquartered company claims to have achieved outdoor durability of 10 years through its self-developed sealing, film formation, materials and process technology. It now aims to establish a manufacturing process for 1 m-wide rolls and achieve commercialization for its technology by 2025 (see Tokyo Government Exploring Perovskite Solar Cell Technology).
An August 2023 Nikkei Asia report revealed Sekisui's plans to invest over JPY 10 billion to build a new manufacturing facility with an annual production volume of several hundred thousand sq. mtr. by 2030. It called this an attempt from the Japanese group to catch up with Chinese competitors.
Slovakian Economy Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister Denisa Sakova sees potential in flexible solar panels for the various possibilities of their use, including for households, industries.
The Economy Ministry pointed at the feasibility of this technology since flexible solar panels do not need any previous raw materials. Its expansion can contribute to the decarbonization of several European countries, it added.
"We are interested not only in working together on the expansion of this technology in Slovakia, but at the same time we also want to explore the possibilities of locating the production of such panels in our country," said Sakova.
Both the parties plan to start negotiations on selecting a potential location for a manufacturing plant.
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