Japan-based plastics manufacturer Sekisui Chemicals plans to build a manufacturing facility for lightweight and flexible perovskite solar cells utilizing the country’s green innovation fund.

The company aims to commercialize the technology in 2025 and invest capital to begin operating a 100 MW manufacturing line in 2027. It also plans to construct a GW-level production line by 2030.

The company said it will set up a new entity, Sekisui Solar Film, to design, manufacture, and sell its perovskite products.

Sekisui Chemicals will take over the main factory of consumer electronics manufacturer Sharp Corporation in Sakai City, Osaka prefecture, to install perovskite solar cell manufacturing facilities. It also signed a shareholder’s agreement with the Development Bank of Japan to jointly operate the new company.

The company said its solar cells will initially be deployed on low-load-bearing roofs and public sector buildings. The installations will expand to private-sector buildings over time.

Sekisui Solar Film will receive funding of ¥157.25 billion (~$997.8 million) by February 2029 from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry through its ‘GX Supply Chain Construction Support Project.’

The company aims to contribute significantly to the Japanese government’s target of establishing a GW-level solar cell supply chain by 2030. Japan has targeted an installed solar capacity of 108 GW by 2030.

Scientists worldwide continue researching methods to improve perovskite cells’ efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and longevity. A recent study published in Energy and Environmental Science demonstrated that lead-tin perovskite solar cells achieved a power conversion efficiency of 23.2% — one of the highest results for this material. The researchers also developed a strategy to extend the lifetime of these devices by 66%.

Another study revealed that combining perovskites with silicon-based semiconductors to create “tandem” solar cells could surpass the maximum theoretical efficiency of silicon solar cells. This advancement may also reduce the cost of solar cells by two to four times compared to thin-film solar cells.