Business

JA To Up Module Capacity to 40 GW By Year End

Chinese Solar Cell & Module Manufacturer JA Solar Shipped 15.88 GW Solar Modules In 2020; Targets 25 GW To 30 GW Shipments In 2021

Anu Bhambhani
  • JA Solar's total module shipments in 2020 added up to 15.88 GW, according to its annual report
  • Of this number which also includes shipments to self, overseas markets accounted for 68.3%
  • Management said the company grew its operating income in 2020 by 22.17% annually to RMB 25.846 billion

Vertically integrated solar PV manufacturer from China, JA Solar shipped 15.88 GW solar PV modules in 2020 (including for self-use) out of which 68.3% accounted for overseas shipments, the company revealed in its annual report for 2020.

In January 2021, PV InfoLink placed JA Solar on the 3rd spot among the world's top 10 module suppliers in terms of shipments in 2020. LONGi Solar was on top with over 20 GW shipped, followed by JinkoSolar (see LONGi Largest Solar Module Supplier In 2020).

For 2020, JA Solar has reported an operating income of RMB 25.846 billion ($3.94 billion), reflecting an annual increase of 22.17%.

At the end of 2020, JA Solar had total solar module production capacity of 23 GW, and wafer and cell capacity was 80% of it, translating into 18.4 GW for each. By the end of 2021, it expects to report cumulative module production capacity of over 40 GW, and that of silicon wafers and cells will reach about 80% of the module production capacity.

It also plans to ship 25 GW to 30 GW modules in 2021, as per the annual report. Going forward, its strategy will be to actively participate in competitive bidding in the domestic market, while expanding its overseas market share especially in Europe, the US and Japan. Emerging markets too will be on its radar.

Speaking during TaiyangNews virtual conference on 500W+ solar modules in July 2020, JA Solar's Tao Wang had shared back then that his company was targeting to reach 20 GW of total module production capacity at the end of 2020, scaling it to 23 GW by 2021 (see TaiyangNews 500W+ Conference: JA Solar).

In November 2020, JA Solar along with 2 of its fellow 182mm sized module proponents LONGi Solar and JinkoSolar, expected cumulative production capacity of 182mm modules to reach 54 GW in 2021.