Ricoh to mass-produce perovskite solar cells using inkjet technology

Ricoh has announced plans to establish a mass-production system for perovskite solar cells, leveraging its proprietary inkjet technology. The company’s proposal was selected for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s (METI) ‘GX Supply Chain Construction Support Project’.

Production will be centered at the Tohoku Plant of Ricoh Industry, a subsidiary located in Shibata, Miyagi Prefecture. Ricoh aims to establish a production capacity of several hundred megawatts per year by 2030, with long-term goals of expanding to gigawatt-scale production.

Perovskite solar cells are a next-generation technology characterized by being thin, lightweight, and flexible, allowing for installation on surfaces where traditional silicon cells are impractical, such as building walls and roofs. Ricoh intends to use inkjet technology to precisely apply materials to all functional layers, which is expected to improve productivity and reduce manufacturing costs through efficient material use.