China PV News Snippets: Chint, Sinopec, Zhonghuan

• Chint Solar officially releases its latest high-efficiency PV module ASTRO 5s series for residential applications
• Sinopec plans to develop active layout in hydrogen energy, PV and wind power, striving for green and clean transformation and achieve carbon neutrality in the long run
• Zhonghuan Semiconductor increases price of its silicon wafers
• PowerBeijing signs green energy project development agreement with the People's Government of Datong City.
• Mindong Dianli to get into a strategic cooperation agreement with the People's Government of Zhouning County in Fujian Province to develop new energy, including centralized photovoltaic power generation projects

Chint releases ASTRO 5s high-efficiency household components: Specialized subsidiary of the Chint group and engaged in PV power station development and PV module production Chint Solar officially released its latest high-efficiency residential PV modules ASTRO 5s. ASTRO 5s modules using 182 large-size cells, and the length of the module is less than 1.8 m, and the weight is less than 23 kg. The product has a power of 415 W and an efficiency of 21.5%. At the mid-May held TaiyangNews Very High-Power Solar Modules Conference, Astronergy Chint's AJ Hu had already introduced and presented background details on its Astro 5 module (see presentation recording here) 

Sinopec to explore PV hydrogen production: Sinopec Chairman Zhang Yuzhuo met General Manager of Zhonghuan Semiconductor Shen Haoping to explore new production models, including photovoltaic hydrogen, a news report said. This is because Beijing-based Chinese oil and gas enterprise Sinopec plans to develop an active layout in hydrogen energy, photovoltaics and wind power, with an aim to strive for green and clean transformation and achieve the goal of carbon neutrality.

Zhonghuan silicon wafer prices rise by RMB 0.4/piece: As per a news report, Chinese solar wafer manufacturer Zhonghuan Semiconductor (TZS), a driving force behind 210mm wafers, has increased the price of its silicon slices. As per the latest quotation released by the company:

• G1 wafers have been priced at RMB 4.70/piece ($0.73/piece), an increase of RMB 0.44/piece ($0.068/piece)
• M6 wafers have been priced at RMB 4.85/piece ($0.75/piece), an increase of RMB 0.405/piece ($0.063/piece)
• G12 wafers have been priced at RMB 7.77/piece ($1.21/piece), an increase of 0.62/piece ($0.096/piece)

This increase in Zhonghuan silicon wafers prices comes close after Chinese vertically integrated solar PV company LONGi increased its silicon wafer prices last week (see China PV News Snippets: UtmoLight, LONGi, Huaneng New Energy)

PowerBeijing signs green energy agreement with Datong City:  PowerBeijing has signed a green energy project development agreement with the People's Government of Datong City, according to a Photovoltaic Network News report. As per the agreement, first they will jointly build a green integrated energy base of 9.4 GW wind and solar power generation projects. Second, they will jointly build a hydrogen energy industrial park to continuously reduce the cost of hydrogen energy utilization. And third, this will increase cooperation in the field of distributed energy supply, and use of photovoltaic, geothermal and other forms of energy to develop comprehensive energy services.

Mindong Dianli enters PV field: Local power listed company Mindong Dianli issued an announcement stating it is getting into a strategic cooperation agreement with the People's Government of Zhouning County in Fujian Province to develop new energy. Mindong Dianli will carry out the development of centralized onshore wind power and centralized photovoltaic power generation projects, as well as the development of distributed photovoltaic and distributed onshore wind power projects in Zhouning County.