PHOTON International The Photovoltaic Magazine

With legacy intact, Bjorseth leaves REC

Alf Bjorseth, the founder, CEO, and former president of Norway's Renewable Energy Company (REC), on Sept. 30 left the company he built with his legacy intact, as REC heads toward a stock market listing in the first half of 2006. He is succeeded by new president and CEO Erik Thorsen.

	© Renewable Energy Corporation AS (REC)
Without Alf Bjorseth, the PV industry still would not have access to a silicon source solely dedicated to solar.

But Bjorseth's solar legacy goes far beyond REC. In 1995, he established the REC subsidiary ScanWafer AS in Glomfjord, Norway, which with a 200 MW capacity is now the world's leading producer of solar silicon wafers. By next August, ScanWafer expects to complete a new €90 million ($108.6 million) wafer plant in Heroya, Norway, capable of roughly doubling its wafer capacity when fully ramped up (see PI 8/2005, p. 42). Bjorseth has also secured the silicon needed for the expansion of ScanWafer and to accommodate recent PV industry growth as a whole.

In 2002, with Bjorseth at the helm, REC formed a 50:50 joint venture with US polysilicon manufacturer Advanced Silicon Materials LLC (ASiMI) called Solar Grade Silicon (SGS), based in Moses Lake, Washington. In 2005, REC secured 100 percent of SGS, which – producing 2,500 tons annually – currently is the only silicon purification plant in the world dedicated solely to the solar industry (see PI 5/2005, p. 24). Also in 2005, REC purchased 75 percent of ASiMI from its Japanese parent Komatsu Ltd. While REC continues to honor the existing contracts with semiconductor companies from ASiMI's 4,000 ton silicon plant in Butte, Montana, the factory's feedstock is eventually destined for the PV market. That means that although PV's appetite will not immediately be satisfied with output from Butte, the solar industry still owes much thanks to Bjorseth.

And what is this PV pioneer going to do next? He's not tipping his hand quite yet. According to REC, Bjorseth will »concentrate on new entrepreneurial activities,« but will maintain ties with the company as a member of the supervisory board.