Trina Solar to expand PERC production capacity: Trina Solar plans to invest in a 10 GW high-efficiency solar cell expansion project using 210 mm large size wafers, for which it has signed an investment cooperation agreement with the Yancheng Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee. The 10 GW capacity will add to the company's current annual solar cell production capacity of 12 GW. By the end of 2021, it plans to expand it to about 26 GW with 210 mm sized cells accounting for close to 70% of the total. By early 2021, the company aims to have the average efficiency of its newly built PERC cell capacity to reach 23%.
At Yancheng, the capacity addition will be in the form of 7.6 GW of new capacity and 2.4 GW of technological upgradation, all of which is expected to cost an investment of up to RMB 3 billion ($432 million). The new 10 GW solar cell capacity will be used to produce its 600W+ module series it launched globally in July 2020 (see Trina Solar Launches 600 W Vertex Module).
Trina Solar provided details about its high efficiency modules at the first Virtual Conference of TaiyangNews on 500W+ Solar Modules, where it also said that it plans to increase its Vertex module capacity to 31 GW in 2022 (see TaiyangNews 500W+ Conference: Trina Solar). TaiyangNews has released its first report on 500W+ modules which can be downloaded for free here.
Tongwei increases solar cell prices: Tongwei has increased the solar cell prices for the month of August 2020. For G1 and M6 monocrystalline PERC solar cells the price has been increased to RMB 0.97 ($0.14) per W from RMB 0.89 ($0.13) per W. At the same time, prices for 156.75 mm monocrystalline PERC cells, the price adjustment was RMB 0.95 (0.14) per W, rising from RMB 0.87 ($0.13) per W. Bloomberg says this increase is its second in less than 3 weeks after it increased prices on July 24, 2020. A major reason for this price rise is the tight supply of polysilicon after GCL-Poly's Xinjiang fab had an accident in July 2020 about which Roth Capital Partners said it would impact 10% of global polysilicon production (see Explosions Reported At GCL-Poly Xinjiang Fab).
Three Gorges announces winners for 2 GW module orders: Three Gorges Renewables Group has selected module suppliers for 2 GW of capacity that it will procure in 2020. Risen Energy, LONGi Solar, JA Solar and Solargiga will provide 2 GW module capacity to the company as the first batch of winners for its 2020 module order. There were 3 bidding sections. The lowest price determined for 405W/410W monocrystalline single glass modules and for 440W/445W monocrystalline single glass panels was RMB 1.34 per W, while that for 440W/445W monocrystalline double glass panels was RMB 1.47 per W, reported Polaris Solar Photovoltaic Network. It points out that prices of solar PV products in the entire supply chain have been recently rising sharply after continuously falling in H1/2020.