Replies to post #2473 on Natcore Technology Inc (NTCXF)

[rkt9]

"I wrote to Natcore on the 14th of this month regarding Twin Creeks and have yet to receive a reply."

Here is the reply:

It is interesting that you brought up Twin Creeks. As it turns out, Dennis and Daniele Margadonna, the CTO of our Joint Venture partner in Italy, MX Solar, have been discussing them. Their understanding is that they are no longer trying to manufacture solar cells but are instead trying to sell their custom equipment to others to make the separated wafers to use as solar cell substrates. They say that they can replace the saws, furnaces and cell finishing equipment with their ion implant machine. Because this ion implanter emits protons it must be shielded for safety reasons. Also, it sounds like the capital cost of re tooling the fabrication facility may be somewhat prohibitive. Each machine can produce only 1.5 million wafers a year. That means that manufacturers with hundred of megawatts of c-Si capacity would have to buy scores of these multi-million-dollar machines if electing to make this shift in the production process. Given the present low cost of polysilicon, I think that manufacturers will be reluctant to make that kind of capital outlay. In any case, both Dennis and Daniele have basically come to the conclusion that they are a bit skeptical. Especially since Twin Creeks admits that they have the economics worked out, provided they can make better than 28% efficient panels. I never try to discount any technology and neither do our scientists but in this case I am a bit skeptical myself. We’ll keep an eye on them and see what develops.



Thanks again for your interest in Natcore. I hope this answers you questions.



Tom