Joining the wave of solar manufacturers setting up operations in the U.S. is a new partnership between Revkor Energy Holdings and H2 Gemini, planning a 5GW to 20 GW HJT/perovskite manufacturing facility and a research center in the state of Utah.
Revkor Energy Holdings Inc. and H2 Gemini Technology Consulting GmbH are partnering in a joint effort to develop a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell and module manufacturing facility. The two will also collaborate on the development of new generations of high-efficiency HJT/perovskite solar cell architectures.
Revkor, headquartered in Miami, Fla., is involved in multiple aspects of the solar energy industry, from solar cell and module manufacturing to EPC services and electrical contracting. Last year the company received exclusive license from Suzhou Maxwell Technology to manufacture HJT solar cells and modules in North America and the Middle East. H2 Gemini, based in Switzerland and Germany, specializes in making the equipment to manufacture high efficiency solar cells. The company was founded and is lead by two former executives from Meyer-Burger and Schmid-Group
The partners already have a 1 million square foot production plant under construction in Salt Lake City, Utah, where production is planned to begin in Q2 2024. The first phase will focus on building a 5 GW annual production facility, aiming for production to begin by the second quarter of 2024. The plan for phase two is to expand the capacity to a total of 20 GW by 2026.
Also planned is the establishment of a research center, which will be a second 1 million square foot facility within the manufacturing complex. The partnership reports that its goal is to use its Utah-based manufacturing and research center to drive advancements in perovskite as well as graphene, plastic recycling and new tire vulcanization methods.
Perovskites hold promise for their low cost to produce, and their thinness allows them to be deposited on most surfaces. While challenges remain with the stability and longevity of perovskites, new efficiency records have been achieved month after month in recent years, and they are edging closer to large-scale manufacturability. The major U.S. thin film solar manufacturer, First Solar, recently announced that it is buying Swedish perovskite manufacturer Evolar AB in a bid to accelerate its efforts to develop tandem PV technology.
In the Utah partnership, H2 Gemini’s role is to provide the HJT/perovskite manufacturing equipment as well as providing project management for the HJT production lines, delivering, implementing production processes and transferring IP technology. Revkor will secure the remaining funding for the manufacturing and research facilities, estimated to be over several billion dollars. The company is engaging with several funding programs that are part of the Inflation Reduction Act as well as the Department of Energy loan guarantee program and CHIPS Act. The Department of Economic Development in Salt Lake City, Utah and the Governor’s office have also been tapped for funding support.
The overall project is expected to generate over 2,500 high-tech jobs in the Salt Lake City area and contribute billions of dollars in revenue to the state of Utah.
