- Hanwha Qcells and a group of European research institutes will join together to advance tandem technology via the PEPPERONI consortium, a four-year R&D project with 14.5 million EUR in EU funding.
- The project will establish a pilot line at the Hanwha Qcells European headquarters in Thalheim, Germany aimed at commercializing tandem cells and modules using Hanwha Qcells’ proprietary Q.ANTUM cell manufacturing technology.
- Based on results from the project’s dual-track R&D strategy, Hanwha Qcells plans to start its internal tandem cell mass production of after June 2026.
Hanwha Solutions Qcells Division, known as Hanwha Qcells, will participate in an EU-funded R&D project to mass-produce next-generation solar cells. The EU has invested 14.5 million EUR (15.1 million USD) in the test production project named PEPPERONI, which is expected to help Europe reach its climate neutrality target by 2050. The project aims to establish a pilot line for perovskite-silicon tandem cells, known as tandem cells, at the Hanwha Qcells Global R&D Center in Thalheim, Germany. The consortium for the project consists of 17 solar companies from 12 countries including Hanwha Qcells and research organizations in the European region.
Tandem cells are made by stacking a layer of perovskite, an adaptable photovoltaic material, on top of a silicon layer, resulting in cells that have the potential for higher power conversion efficiency (PCE)*. The crystal structure of perovskite can be adapted to absorb the parts of the light spectrum that cannot be taken in by monocrystalline cells, making it an ideal material for tandem cell development.
