German companies collaborate on solar industry

German solar companies were urged to collaborate with Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec) to share and create knowledge in building a brand new industry in Qatar. Dr Khalid K al-Hajri, chairman and CEO, QSTec, addressed the audience at the 15th German-Arab Business Forum in Berlin recently. Al Hajri said: “As an industry we need to work together to research and develop new solar products, technologies and applications. QSTec is building an industry of solar energy for the future and welcome opportunities for collaboration with the industry’s most progressive and innovative companies.” “Quality, reliability and efficiency is important to us, which is why QSTec has teamed up with one of the world’s leading integrated solar companies, SolarWorld. This partnership is ideal because we both share the same values; we share knowledge, we respect each other’s characteristics and cultures and we both see a bright future ahead for solar energy across the Mena region and around the world,” al-Hajri said. QSTec is a joint venture between Qatar Foundation (70%), SolarWorld (29%) and Qatar Development Bank (1%). “With knowledge transfer and knowledge creation through collaboration, the solar industry in Qatar is sure to shine now and well into the future,” al-Hajri added. Polysilicon is the essential building block of the world’s most efficient solar energy technologies. Polysilicon helps to harness solar power by being converted into wafers, cells and the solar modules and panels that produce solar energy. QSTec is building a polysilicon production plant in Ras Laffan Industrial City. Initially, the plant will produce 8,000 metric tonnes per year (MTPY) of polysilicon per year and it is designed to expand as demand grows.from gulf times.