Midsummer bags 15 MW CIGS production line order

Swedish thin film solar specialist Midsummer announced the order of a SEK 143.5 million ($14.8 million) turnkey line with a capacity for 15 MW from an undisclosed Swedish industrial and defense group.

Swedish thin-film solar specialist Midsummer is supplying an undisclosed Swedish industrial and defense group with a turnkey production line for thin-film copper, indium, gallium and selenide (CIGS) solar cell production. The equipment has a 15 MW annual capacity and a value of SEK 143.5 million ($14.8 million), according to the company.

Midsummer said that its DUO system, which is used to produce thin-film solar cells based on CIGS technology, will be used in the first phase of production at a factory with the intention of adding capacity at a later stage. The factory is located in a country that is not within the European continent, a Midsummer spokesperson told pv magazine without providing further details.

The DUO equipment produces 156mm ×156 mm solar cells on flexible stainless-steel substrates with a 17% efficiency and modules with an output of up to 150 W/m². The cells can be used to make 3 kg/m² modules in various sizes and shapes, such as wave-shaped panels and large-sized 1,000 W modules for flat roofs, according to the spokesperson.

“Our technology is proven and we can establish complete factories in a short time, provide all equipment, manage the entire project, and also assist in subsequent ongoing operation, service and sales of produced panels,” said Midsummer's CEO Eric Jaremalm in a statement. “We see it as an attractive offer for many countries and players.”

Founded in 2004, Midsummer develops manufacturing equipment for thin film production lines up to 200 MW, as well as manufacturing and selling a range of lightweight rooftop solar panels based on its own technology.

It has a CIGS PV plant under construction in Italy that is targeting to produce 50 MW per year and a smaller plant in Sweden with a 5 MW annual capacity.