Details about the solar developer that has placed the order have not been disclosed. Meyer Burger claims that its HJT solar cell coating technology has been selected to be installed at a manufacturing line to produce bifacial Heterojunction solar cells in Catania, Italy.

As the supply contract, it will supply two cell lines of the HJT to an unnamed Italian solar module manufacturer. The supply order includes installation, on-site training and service of its HeLiA platform for producing the heterojunction solar cells along as well as full interlink automation of the manufacturing facility.

The delivery of the HJT lines is expected to begin by the middle of next year, while full production will start in 2019.

Meyer Burger says that its Italian PV module-maker presently produces thin film modules and has already installed more than 500MW in capacity. It claims that its HELiA plat­form can replace the existing cell technology for next generation PV modules for higher efficiency.

It will also enter into joint development partnership with the PV-maker to increase efficiency more than 23%. The initial production will begin with conventional busbar cell connection technology with the plan to convert to Meyer Burger’s SWCT mod­ule tech­nol­ogy.

Meyer Burger CEO Hans Brändle said: “We are very pleased to enter into this im­por­tant strate­gic part­ner­ship with a strong and recog­nised leader in the down­stream re­new­able en­ergy mar­ket.

"This marks an im­por­tant mile­stone for Meyer Burger’s in­dus­tri­alised HJT tech­nol­ogy which is on its way to be­com­ing the next high-ef­f­i­cency cell tech­nol­ogy for bi­fa­cial solar mod­ules.”

The Ital­ian PV-maker is a subsidiary of a European power company which has its presence in power, gas and renewable markets in more than 30 countries.