About us
Elkem Solar produces solar grade silicon - Elkem Solar Silicon® - with just 1/4 of the energy consumption compared with traditional technology.
The most important component in solar cells is highly purified silicon. Elkem Solar's technology contributes to making solar energy competitive with conventional energy sources by reducing costs and emissions without reducing the quality of the end product.
Development and performance
Elkem Solar's technology for making solar grade silicon, is tested and verified, and the company is now industrialising its proprietary solar grade silicon production line on Elkem's site at Fiskaa in Kristiansand, Norway.
The first plant at Fiskaa will have a capacity of 7,500 tons of solar grade silicon after ramp-up. Elkem Solar's first plant has cost about $600 million to build making it one of Norway's largest industrial investments on the mainland.
Focusing on R&D
Elkem Solar will continue its strong focus on research and development. Several product and process improvements are already identified, which will contribute to even lower production costs for solar cell energy. Industrialisation of metallurgical processes has been one of Elkem's core knowledge areas for many decades.