Kazakhstan, Astana, 10 June / Trend D.Mukhtarov /
A new plant for the production of photovoltaic wafers and cells, the Kazakhstan Solar Silicon LLP in Ust-Kamenogorsk will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2014, the press service of the Kazakh national company Kazatomprom announced.
"It is expected that the plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk, construction of which began in March 2012, will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2014. Installation of process equipment and preparations for commissioning are currently underway," the national company said.
According to the report, the design capacity of the plant will be at least 60 megawatts of installed capacity of photovoltaic wafers per year, the bulk of which will be supplied to the Astana Solar plant for further assembly of PV modules.
Photovoltaic wafers plant Kazakhstan Solar Silicon LLP consists of two production lines, those for the production of silicon wafers and lines for photovoltaic production of plates. Production is innovative because it allows minimising the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
According to Azat Betekbaev, project manager and advisor to the board chairman of NAC Kazatomprom JSC, the KAZ PV project (production of photovoltaic modules based on Kazakh silicon) is a vertically integrated project which includes the production chain from raw materials to a high-tech innovation product.
KAZ PV consists of 100 per cent subsidiaries of NAC Kazatomprom JSC - KazSilicon LLP (Ushtobe) - production of quartz vein deposits at Sary-Kul and production of silicon metal. Kazakhstan Solar Silicon LLP (Ust-Kamenogorsk) is a plant for the production of photovoltaic wafers and Astana Solar LLP (Astana), a factory for the assembly of PV modules.
NAC Kazatomprom JSC is the national operator of Kazakhstan for the export of uranium and its compounds, rare metals, nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants, special equipment and technologies and double-use materials.
Principal activities of the company are: geological exploration, uranium production, manufacture of nuclear fuel cycle, production of construction materials, energy, science, social welfare and training. Kazatomprom is an active participant in the development of renewable energy in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Currently, the company employs more than 25,000 people. Kazatomprom is one of the leading uranium companies in the world.