Russia's first production of a particularly pure substance for optical fiber has been created in Krasnoyarsk.
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Krasnoyarsk-based Germanium Company (part of the Shvabe holding of Rostec State Corporation) has launched Russia's first industrial production of high-purity germanium tetrachloride for fiber-optic communication lines. The low-impurity substance will allow the creation of high-quality optical fiber for connecting data centers and building 5G network infrastructure.
The total investments amounted to 328 million rubles, of which 222 million rubles were provided by the Federal Fund for Industrial Development (FFD) in the form of a concessional loan.
"The loan from the Industrial Development Fund helped us modernize our existing production facilities. Previously, the company had already produced germanium tetrachloride, but it did not meet the increased requirements for the content of impurities and could not be used in the production of optical fiber. The new product, with a minimum content of hydrogen donors and metals, is necessary for the development of 5G infrastructure, connectivity to data centers and the creation of passive optical networks," said Tatiana Pavlyuk, CEO of Germanium JSC.
The Germanium company has been working on the creation of especially pure germanium and its compounds since 2023. Previously, the standard purity of the material produced in Russia was an order of magnitude lower. It was possible to achieve the desired quality of the material due to the consistent use of several cleaning methods.
Especially pure germanium tetrachloride is used in the manufacture of preforms, from which telecommunications and technical fiber are subsequently produced. With its help, they provide the necessary range and speed of transmission of a light beam in fiber-optic communication lines. The products are in high demand in export markets, and the facilities created will allow the company to develop this sales area as well.
After reaching its design capacity, Germanium will be able to produce at least 2 tons of the substance annually. This will completely cover the needs of the domestic industry. The main consumers of high–purity germanium tetrachloride are companies producing preforms and optical fibers from them.
Germanium applied for a federal loan with the assistance of the regional Industrial Development Fund. The Krasnoyarsk Territory pays special attention to supporting such advanced technologies and industries and providing them with personnel. Governor Mikhail Kotyukov, who heads the Russian State Council's commission on Technological leadership, highly appreciated the equipment of the unique production facility and the level of scientific research carried out by the company during a visit to the Germanium enterprise.
Recall that the Russian President set the task of ensuring the country's technological sovereignty in key areas. According to the decree of the head of state, technological leadership is one of the national development goals of the country for the period up to 2030 and for the future up to 2036.
