First Graphene has announced a two-year agreement with Halocell to supply graphene used in solar cells, ahead of the release of Halocell's first commercially-available perovskite solar module this month
In a statement to the ASX on Thursday, First Graphene said its customer had been able to "expedite its manufacturing process and enhance [the] light absorbing performance" of its indoor solar cells using First Graphene's PureGRAPH product.
Halocell's upcoming product will be suitable for charging "small electronic goods, replacing disposable batteries" according to the statement.
"By leveraging First Graphene's advanced graphene formulations, we can optimise particle size and surface chemistry, enhancing the efficiency and scalability of our solar cells," said Halcoell CEO Paul Moonie.
"The integration of these locally supplied materials into our roll-2-roll production process enables cost-effective, rapid manufacturing, which will be a gamechanger for the solar industry in Australia."
According to the company, the graphene-enhanced modules outperform conventional silicon solar cells in efficiency by "up to five times", and are more cost-effective due to the replacement of conductor materials such as gold and silver.
"This landmark agreement with Halocell Energy is a significant milestone for First Graphene as we officially enter the commercial perovskite solar cell industry," said Michael Bell, CEO of First Graphene.
"These locally manufactured products will change the way Australians leverage solar power in their home and improve Australia's renewable energy performance as a whole."
Last year the pair – along with Queensland University of Technology – were awarded a $2 million Cooperative Research Centre Projects (CRC-P) grant to support a two-year project on "ultra-low-cost" and flexible roll-to-roll cell fabrication at Halocell's Wagga Wagga factory.
A project description mentioned development of "cost-effective graphene-based electrode replacements for high-cost conductor materials" that are used in cell manufacture, and which could offer performance benefits "in low and artificial light conditions, including indoor environments".
Author @aumanufacturing.
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David Spediacci
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