Showa Shell’s PV ops to go under Solar Frontier’s umbrella

Jun 18, 2014 - Japan’s Showa Shell Sekiyu KK (TYO:5002) will unify all of its solar-related assets under its subsidiary Solar Frontier, the latter said on Wednesday.

The plan, already greenlighted by Showa Shell’s board of directors, involves the transfer of the parent’s solar research and development and other assets to Solar Frontier. This will enable oil group Showa Shell to become more flexible and efficient in the solar segment, it said. Furthermore, Solar Frontier will expand its operations, improve organisation and operational capabilities.

Showa Shell has been working on the research of CIS (copper, idium and selemium) solar technology since 1993. The technology was commercialised in 2007 after the firm established its first CIS module manufacturing facility.

Solar Frontier operates several manufacturing plants in southern Japan. One of them has a capacity of 900 MW. In April it said it is working with the State University of New York College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (SUNY CNSE) on a plan to jointly produce CIS thin-film modules in New York state.

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