Despite a depressed economy, the Linde Gases Division of The Linde Group closed 2009 with more than 6GWp of production capacity across its global photovoltaic (PV) customer base. Linde also secured multiple new contracts and renewals with thin-film and crystalline manufacturers including GS Solar and Suntech in China; Euro Multivision, Indo Solar and Solar Semiconductor in India; and Bosch, Malibu and Masdar in Germany.

Looking ahead to 2010/11, Linde is focusing on innovation to help PV module manufacturers drive down costs and reduce carbon footprint. The company is collaborating with customers in Asia and Europe to achieve less than $1 per Watt thin-film silicon costs, and is pursuing on-site fluorine generation, silane production and turnkey installations of bulk and specialty gases supply systems.

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