Sep 20 2010
LDK Solar Co., Ltd. ("LDK Solar"; NYSE: LDK), a leading manufacturer of multicrystalline solar wafers and PV products, announced today the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for collaborative research and development activities related to silicon materials and photovoltaic devices.
The objectives for the collaborative activities are the investigation of silicon feedstock related issues, development of standards for solar grade silicon and evaluation methods, and research on crystallization technologies and commercial implementation. The NREL is DOE's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.
"NREL is one of the world's leading PV research organizations and we are honored to partner with them," stated Xiaofeng Peng, Chairman and CEO of LDK Solar. "With common R&D goals and having previously collaborated informally with the NREL, we are pleased formalize our cooperation. We are proud of the continued work by our Technology Center which is dedicated to product and technology development while sustaining competitive advantages for LDK Solar."
"We look forward to working closely with LDK to accelerate research to bring more alternative energy solutions to the market," stated John Benner, manager of PV industry partnership at NCPV of NREL.