Silicor Materials and AM Technical Solutions Close $8.9M USD Project Management Contract

SunPower Corporation:-Silicor Materials, Inc., a manufacturer of high-quality solar silicon and aluminum by-products, today announced the signing of a contract with AM Technical Solutions (AMTS) – a construction and project management and facility solutions firm for the high tech markets – for the project management of Silicor’s first commercial-scale plant in Grundartangi, Iceland. The project is expected to break ground before the end of 2016 and be fully operational by 2019.

The companies will work together over the next 36 months to complete the 121,000 square-meter production facility, which will supply photovoltaic (PV) cell and module manufacturers around the world with at least 19,000 metric tons of solar silicon each year. Under the terms of the agreement, worth more than $8.9M USD, AMTS is responsible for overseeing and executing the project’s strict timeline and controlling the budget throughout the construction process.

“We pride ourselves on our ability to bring projects to completion under budget and in a timely fashion – and look forward to doing so with Silicor Materials’ first commercial-scale facility,” said Sandeep Davé, Chief Business Officer of AMTS. “AMTS’ goal is to deliver excellent results for Silicor at impressive scale, recognizing that this facility will place Silicor among the world’s top six solar silicon producers by volume.”

Silicor’s solar silicon is a lower-cost, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional polysilicon, allowing manufacturers to reduce production costs with no impact to product performance or quality. The material, which currently powers more than 20 million PV cells around the world, is produced through a proprietary metals-based process that consumes significantly less energy than traditional methods.

“With over 20 years of experience in the high tech building and project management space, AMTS is uniquely qualified to bring Silicor’s first commercial-scale facility to life in an ambitious timeframe,” said Terry Jester, CEO of Silicor Materials. “AMTS will help Silicor make a huge impact on renewable energy. Once we are running at full capacity, Silicor’s flagship facility in Grundartangi will produce enough silicon annually to make solar panels for 800,000 homes.”

Silicor selected the Austin, Texas-based AMTS because of the company’s international experience and strong track record managing the construction of complex high tech facilities. AMTS will integrate the civil construction and process equipment elements of the project.