Developing Processes For The Low-Cost Manufacturing Of High Purity Silicon Metals For Next-Generation Lithium-ion Batteries

Achieved final critical milestones, completing a successful silicon pour

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Message: Question for the CEO Bernard Tourllion - and /or anyone else who can shed light on this

Dear Blueblanche,

I will try my best to help reduce any confusion.

In our presentation, we explain:

The terms SoG Si, Solar Grade Silicon and Polysilicon are used interchangeably and refer to high purity silicon used to produce solar cells for a solar panel. Depending on the production method used, chemical or metallurgical, the purity of the Si in SoG-Si ranges from 5N+ (99.999% Si) purity for Si produce metallurgically to 6N and 7N for Si produce via the chemical route.

In the industry, the term Polysilicon refers to a Si metal that has been refined via a chemical route.  The process was originally designed for the production of electronic grade silicon for computers, so there we talk about purity between 9N and 11N.  Since electronic grade silicon is really overkilling for solar and it is the most expensive product to do, industrials have developed a chemical process that can produce more economically 6N Si that can be used in the solar industry (what the site PVinsights.com the call 2-grade polysilicon).

Presently there is no mention about metallurgically produced SoG Si because it only represents a minuscule segment of the market but that is what we are aiming at changing with Apollon Solar.

May I suggest that you read our January 24, 2019, Corporate Update, I think that most of your questions are covered there and it will give you a better global picture of what we are aiming at doing

It’s interesting that we have completely opposite reading of the PVinsights.com information about the “spot” price of both 9N and 6N.  You seem to indicate that the present low spot price is a negative point for HPQ, but if you look at page 13 of the presentation, you will realize that it’s a SCREAMING NEGATIVE for the entire industry….

How long do you believe that any company will be able to survive selling material below their cash cost?  

Just to put this into perspective, the latest and most modern and efficient plants in China that are producing 6N-8N SoG Si have an ALL IN COST $14.00 Kg… Do you think that is sustainable?

Trend dictate that either price will have to revert back up to above US $14 Kg for 6N, or new process will need to be developed to deal with these prices.

We (HPQ – Apollon) believe that we can produce metallurgically a cheap, green 5N+ SoG Si that will have a high conversion efficiency.   You do remember that Apollon solar obtained, an independently confirmed, world record conversion efficiency of 21.1% with monocrystalline ingots, for a solar cell made with 100% “SoG Si UMG”. 

Just to let you in a little secret, when Si is purified via a chemical process, all the impurities are removed, and that is what makes these processes very expensive (Plus the irony is that dopant has to be added to the material after to make it solar).  A metallurgical process is focussed on only removing the impurities that have a negative impact of the solar performance, and that is why overall our purity may be 5N+ but for the key problem impurities, it will be 9N.

One last point, I know exactly who you are talking about the solar expert from Sarnia, and I am pretty aware of his position about 5N and 6N solar, but I, and the people at Apollon do not agree with that point of view, and we actually believe that there is a future for what we are doing.  Quick question, last time I spoke to him 3 years ago he was looking for financing for a pilot plant to validate his new process to turn Mg Si into Electronic grade Si, how is that going?

Regards

 

Bernard Tourillon
President and CEO

 

 

 

 

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