6
nanotimes
10-02 :: February 2010
Companies
Interview //
Chairman Richard Caldwell, Dyesol, Australia
F
or many companies 2009 was a very difficult pany expects that Corus will confirm its commitment
year, and the economic situation won’t be better to the product no later than June this year.
for them in 2010. However, the Australian compa-
ny Dyesol Limited (ASX: DYE) marks an impressive If Corus decides to go to a full scale manufacturing
counterexample. In 2010, they are planning to follow plant, which will require significant capital invest-
their successful path with a straight strategy. This ment, “everything is technically going according to
company is on the right tracks indeed. Two weeks plan,” says Richard Caldwell. And he continues:
ago, Dyesol achieved the seventh milestone of the “Our challenge as a company now is to be able to
joint programme with Corus to develop and industri- scale up to make the capability to make the requi-
alize dye solar cells (DSC) on coil steel. rements of the larger production. Corus expects to
launch the product in late 2011 or early 2012, with
The project, supported by the Welsh Assembly production forecast to grow from around a million
Government (WAG) with more than £5 million square meters per annum to much as twenty million
(US$7,466 million), continues to be well ahead of square meters per annum in 2016. For us, that is
schedule. And to top it all, Dyesol has been awarded about going from $US50 million work of input to a
an “A-” rating in the industry category of Renewable billion work of input.”
Energy and Energy Efficiency by Oekom Research, a
German-based sustainable investment rating agency. In October 2009, Dyesol Limited and Merck KGaA
Dyesol was formerly rated “B+”. In addition, it is signed an agreement to collaborate on the develop-
classified as “Prime”, meaning it “ranks “B+ amongst ment of electrolytes for use in dye solar cells (DSC).
the world¹s best companies in its industry”. This joint development agreement is the precursor
to potential future commercial arrangements with
Recently, we spoke to Chairman of the Board of Merck to manufacture existing and next generation
Directors of Dyesol Limited, Richard Caldwell, electrolytes for application in DSC. Merck is one of
and asked him about Dyesol‘s strategy in 2010, their the world leaders in the development and produc-
products and company partners. tion of ionic liquids, which are key raw materials
used in DSC electrolytes. And this new R&D relation-
For Dyesol‘s Chairman 2010 should be a year “de- ship with Merck is “very important to us,” according
dicated to testing and demonstrating the prototype to Richard Caldwell. Merck is a commercialization
product,” and he is very excited about partners like partner for the provision of large scale electrolytes
Corus and Merck KGaA. Regarding Corus, his com- for projects such as Corus, and Corus will not be the