Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has announced that it will provide subsidies totaling ¥24.6 billion (approximately $167 million) over five years to three companies working to advance the mass production of perovskite solar cells.
The funding will be allocated to Panasonic Holdings, Ricoh, and EneCoat Technologies to support their technological innovations and pilot testing.
Panasonic is focusing on developing glass-type perovskite solar cells that can be integrated into building materials, while Ricoh and EneCoat are working on thin and lightweight film-type products.
The three companies aim to increase the annual production capacity of perovskite solar cells to between 200 and 300 megawatts by 2030, enough to power approximately 60,000 households.
Ricoh plans to leverage its inkjet printing technology to facilitate the adoption of perovskite solar cells in homes and businesses, while EneCoat, in collaboration with Toyota Motor Corporation, is seeking to implement its products in vehicles and factories.
The subsidies will come from the Green Innovation Fund, which is designed to promote decarbonization technologies and has already supported another player in the film-type perovskite solar cell sector, Sekisui Chemical.
METI has set a target for Japan to achieve an annual production capacity of 20 gigawatts of perovskite solar cells by 2040.
