Colleagues from the fuel portal fuelalternative. com. reprinted ua very interesting and momentous interview with Director General of the International Scientific Centre ... Vladimir Lipkanskim.
Russians proclaim a very impressive plans to create its own Silicon Valley. And, without further ado, we plan to start with the most important - from the production of silicon. The first batch of raw material should be made as early as next year, and the design capacity is 20 thousand. tonnes of silicon per year. Thus, our neighbor to the north once again confirms its desire to move in one of the most promising areas of the world energy.
Well, now go directly to the. most interviews. :.
- Vladimir, the idea of the Baltic Silicon Valley in Pine Forest has existed since the 90s of last century. What is the fate of this project now?.
- The project is not forgotten. Moreover, it has passed the phase of initiation, prepared all the conditions for its implementation - the business plan, market, professional team of technical and technological solutions developed by a working draft. There is a fundamental agreement on investment. The first batch of 500 tons of polycrystalline silicon, we plan to release in 2010. Five years after the first investment is planned to reach full capacity - 5.5 thousand. tonnes per year. And in 8-10 years - up to 20 thousand. tonnes per year.
With the development of this project, as well as other domestic silicon project, Russia will be able to increase the gap in the field of export-oriented high-tech material. In addition, the country will create its own material base for the solar and semiconductor technologies. And in this - one of our main objectives.
- In California's Silicon Valley is famous in Russia conceived Most Silicon Valley. It is appropriate to compare them?.
- Most scientific idea dictates the meaning of life for all who live and work in these valleys. It makes sense to quote the founder and director of Intel's Robert Noyce: ... This phenomenon is a lifestyle, culture, a conglomerate of ideas, a ray of hope, a set of features, a microcosm of the potential of the future ...
- Why did you select silicon? .
- The nature and purpose of the project - to create the material basis for alternative energy, in particular, to use solar energy. Because silicon ( or more precisely - polycrystalline silicon ) - is the base material for solar energy, microelectronics, power electronics. In pure silicon, not found in nature. What we see as sand or quartzite - is, as a rule, silica. In order to obtain pure silicon, it is necessary to implement a number of technological added value.
One of the most pure silicon compounds in nature - Quartzite - purified to a purity of 98-99%, using a relatively simple technology of smelting. As a result, silicon technology are used in metallurgy, which is the source for polysilicon. Then there is the most expensive and most complicated technological redistribution: silicon goes from solid to liquid, then - in a gaseous, then - again in the solid, precipitated in a special furnace to a special mandrel. Obtained from ingots 150 mm in diameter (depending on equipment) and a half meters in height. They split, cleaned and loaded into a special furnace for the production of monocrystalline silicon. Then cut into wafers, which are either for the production of solar cells, integrated circuits, or for.
- But Russia - not Africa, where a lot of sunlight. Is it possible in Russia, with its climate- scale use of solar energy?.
- According to some experts, in 10-15 years silicon can occupy in the global economy and the energy is almost just as important as oil and gas. Other experts believe that at least 30 % of the territory of our country are suitable for the efficient use of solar energy. Already, there are developments that increase the efficiency of solar energy in areas with low solar activity. For example, in St. Petersburg Physico- Technical Institute. Ioffe RAS are promising developments that can significantly improve the efficiency of solar cells. Of course, while they still are not cheap, but it just yet.
- What will be handled by experts Great Silicon Valley?.
- The fact that in Russia, the silicon industry is a very modest. The work of individual companies, for example in Podolsk, Zheleznogorsk, Usolye Siberia, in terms of needs and the Russian and world market - a drop in the bucket. World production is now around 40 thousand. tons of polysilicon per year, but demand is growing rapidly. According to Western analysts, by 2100 the production of electricity from the sun would be equal to the total electricity in the world. Russia is here to take its place, and time to do this there is still. To realize this ambitious idea of Academician Alexander Prokhorov - it means a real chance to develop silicon technology and enter a world leader in this area.
- Why do you call an idea of scale?.
- The idea of Academician Prokhorov was to create an entire so-called ... This will require the involvement of international and Russian scientific capacity building of science and technology incubation centers, electronic industry, university facilities, the creation of modern infrastructure. This is a very expensive idea. Because we gave up a full cycle of processing silicon and stopped the construction of a production of polycrystalline silicon as the most cost-effective and demanded redistribution of silicon in the world.
- Why is a place for the Baltic Silicon Valley was chosen Sosnovy Bor?.
- To grow crystals of silicon requires a lot of energy. In Pine Forest, is known to work SELA. Its nuclear reactor channel type can produce neutron doping of silicon ingots and receive a unique material for the semiconductor industry. Harnessing the power of SELA will make it cheaper, and therefore - more competitive. In turn, the SELA will receive significant revenue from electricity sales Great Silicon Valley.
In general, the project will bring significant economic impact. And this technology will allow Russia to become one of the world's leading manufacturers of electronic purity silicon and the new pace of development of microelectronics. In the words of Academician Aleksandr Prokhorov, ...
- Do not arise in a Pine Forest phobia due to construction of new silicon production?.
- Phobias have been, are and will be. As always, they have developed on the basis of ignorance and unwillingness to understand. In this case, they are groundless. We're going to build a modern production facility with a real closed-loop, which has no ... Yes, it will be the remnants of which are formed in small quantities and used in further chemical plants. But I am confident that the issues related to environmental risks in the construction of industrial facilities in Russia, instigated by certain quarters who are not interested in its development.
We cooperate with major Western companies that produce silicon. Before you start the cooperation, we get acquainted with the advanced world experience. In Germany, the silicon plants are in the centers of small towns - and none of the residents does not raise questions about safety. Over the lifetime of the silicon industry have not been reported cases of adverse environmental effects.
Interviewed Neonilla Yampolskaya.
