Glaston and Beneq announce first TCO line sale

The first Beneq-Glaston TFC2000line for manufacturing TCO coatings on glass for photovoltaics has been sold to Asia, according to a March 22 release. The total order is approximately EUR 14 million of which Glaston’s share is over EUR 4 million. The line delivery is scheduled for Q1 of 2012.

“The sale of the first TFC2000 line in such a relatively short period of time is very encouraging and confirms that the joint Beneq-Glaston offering has been well positioned to serve the needs of the growing thin film PV industry with a solution that is unique and competitive.” said Arto Mets?nen, CEO Glaston, in the release.

In September 2010, Glaston and Beneq announced their strategic cooperation for solar glass coating equipment. Results of the collaboration between the companies brought about the new TFC2000 continuous offline production concept, which enables a commercially affordable way to manufacture high-quality TCO coated glass for the solar industry. The Beneq coating system, featuring unique and proprietary nAERO technology, is fully integrated into Glaston’s CHF Pro heat treatment line. The TFC2000 combines world-leading glass and annealing technology with advanced thin film coating for rapidly growing solar applications.

“This is a definitive demonstration of the growing need for high-quality TCO-glass and coating equipment to manufacture it," said Sampo Ahonen, CEO, Beneq, in the release. "It is also good proof of the seamless cooperation between Beneq and Glaston, which with this transaction has taken a giant leap forward.”