SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Signs Contract with SpaceX to Supply Heterojunction Solar Cell Production Lines

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 10, German photovoltaic manufacturing equipment company SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES signed a contract with U.S.-based SpaceX for the supply of complete heterojunction (HJT) solar cell production line equipment, with the first production line order valued at over EUR 60 million. The equipment will be deployed at SpaceX's production facility in Bastrop, Texas, USA, for the manufacture of satellite solar cells, and the first production line is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2027. This contract is part of a strategic cooperation between the two parties, with additional production lines planned for the future.

The scope of supply covers the main process steps in heterojunction solar cell manufacturing, including wafer loading and inspection, wet chemical texturing and cleaning, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) passivation layers, physical vapor deposition (PVD) of indium tin oxide conductive films, metallization printing and curing, as well as cell testing and sorting. Among these, wet processing is used for wafer surface cleaning and structural treatment, PECVD is used for depositing cell passivation layers, and PVD is used for depositing conductive films on both sides; the sequential integration of these processes forms a complete heterojunction solar cell production flow.

Heterojunction solar cells form a heterojunction structure through crystalline silicon and amorphous silicon thin films, offering high photoelectric conversion efficiency and favorable temperature characteristics. The equipment provided by SINGULUS involves processes such as wet processing, vacuum coating, and thermal treatment, with the existing equipment portfolio including the SILEX wet processing system, the GENERIS PECVD system, and the GENERIS PVD system. SpaceX will use the equipment for satellite solar cell manufacturing, with products geared toward its satellite production plans in Texas.

SpaceX plans to expand its related solar cell manufacturing capacity to the 100-gigawatt level. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk previously disclosed that the solar cell annual capacity target corresponding to the related equipment procurement is 100 gigawatts. SINGULUS stated that subsequent production lines will support equipment production demand exceeding 100 gigawatts.

The cooperation between the two parties began in March 2026. SINGULUS disclosed that SpaceX had previously provided financing support and in October provided a subordinated secured loan of approximately EUR 22.75 million to repay its relevant debts to former shareholders and business partner Triumph. This loan is a corporate financing arrangement and constitutes a separate transaction from the current solar equipment supply order exceeding EUR 60 million. As the first production line enters the delivery preparation stage, the two parties will continue to cooperate on subsequent production line supply and satellite solar cell manufacturing equipment.