Perovskite tandem cells are currently on everyone's lips after the South Korean photovoltaic manufacturer Qcells succeeded in developing a tandem cell with an efficiency of up to 29.3 percent in cooperation with the Helmholtz Centre Berlin at the beginning of this year. The venue was a jointly operated pilot production line for silicon perovskite tandem cells in Thalheim.

This success has now prompted Qcells to invest a further 100 million US dollars to accelerate the commercialisation of perovskite-based tandem cells. Perovskite tandem cells are a next-generation solar cell technology designed to noticeably increase the efficiency of solar modules by combining two photoelectric layers. Qcells' parent company, Hanwha Solutions, announced plans to have the plant in Jincheon, South Korea, up and running by the end of 2024 - with the goal of commercialising the tandem cells by 2026.

To push this project forward, the new pilot production line in Jincheon will work closely with Qcells' Technology and Innovation Centre in Thalheim, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The four-year research project there, called "Pepperoni", had previously set itself the task of finding a way to commercialise tandem cell development in Europe.

"This investment in Jincheon is an important step in securing technology leadership," says Qcells CEO Justin Lee. "With a global research and development network spanning Korea, Germany and the US, Qcells will strengthen its efforts to produce highly efficient, advanced tandem cells." The investment is expected to pave the way for Qcells to mass-produce perovskite tandem cells, which are more efficient than silicon-based solar cells using TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) or heterojunction technology.

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