Latest wafer prices from LONGi; GCL Tech drops silicon ingot plans; Shanxi Coal shelves HJT cell manufacturing plans; JYT Corp postpones plans for Leshan silicon ingot & wafer slicing fab; more from Canadian Solar, Gree Group, Astronergy and Tongwei Solar.
LONGi announces latest silicon wafer prices: Vertically integrated solar manufacturer LONGi Solar recently released updated prices for its monocrystalline silicon wafers. The updated prices are as follows:
Separately, LONGi and electric vehicle maker NIO have jointly announced the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement to promote the use of clean energy such as PV power generation in charging and swapping stations. The duo aims to build an industry-leading integrated photovoltaic, storage, charging and swapping station. The 2 companies will cooperate in promoting distributed PV cooperation with V2G vehicle network interaction and establishing relevant industry standards for 'travel carbon neutrality' in the interests of 'carbon peaking and carbon neutrality' in transportation.
GCL Technology withdraws from silicon ingots; to focus only on granular silicon: Late last month, GCL Technology announced that it is completely withdrawing from the silicon ingots (Siemens method) business. The move comes as the company's associate, Xinjiang Goins, plans to distribute dividends to shareholder Jiangsu Zhongneng Silicon Technology Development Co., Ltd. and subsequently repurchase all the equity held by it. Xinjiang Goins is said to have a production capacity of 60,000 tons of silicon ingots.
GCL Technology will now completely shift its focus to the research and production of silane fluidized bed reactor (FBR) granular silicon technology. The company expects the proceeds from the transaction to enhance its capital reserves, not only helping it in its new granular silicon plans but also optimizing its core asset structure and improving its operational efficiency.
Recently, GCL Tech Co-CEO Tianshi Lan met with TaiyangNews Managing Director Michael Schmela at the TaiyangNews & SNEC Solar Leadership Conversations, where he explained the reasons for his company to withdraw from the Siemens method (see SNEC Exclusive: GCL Tech Executive Interview).
Canadian Solar's SolBank helps Epson (China) implement its 1st industrial & commercial energy storage project: Recently, Chinese media reported that the 0.8 MW/2.4 MWh fully liquid-cooled energy storage system (ESS) provided by Canadian Solar for Epson has been officially connected to the grid. This project is said to be Epson's first industrial and commercial energy storage project in China.
Canadian Solar says that its SolBank ESS has passed the testing and evaluation of UL9540A, multiple NFPA regulatory evaluations, and has obtained multiple North American safety certifications and EU CE certifications. In the domestic market, it has also successfully passed the full set of GB/T36276 type test tests.
Gree Group rolls off 1st module from Hongjun HJT base: Late last month, Gree Group announced that it had rolled off the 1st module product from the Hongjun New Energy Heterojunction Solar Cell and Module Production Base. The company said that the Zhuhai-located facility has now officially entered full-scale production. Gree Group has invested about RMB 6.3 billion ($880.7 million) in the manufacturing base that spans a total area of approximately 300,000 sq. m. The company has invested about RMB 1.4 billion ($195.7 million) in the customized manufacturing facility capable of producing 7.2 GW of high-efficiency solar cells and 5 GW of modules annually. The 2nd and 3rd phases are expected to be operational before the end of 2024. At full capacity, it is expected to generate over RMB 10 billion ($1.39 billion) in annual revenues for the company.
Shanxi Coal's shelves plan for 10 GW HJT cell manufacturing facility: Shanxi Coal International Energy Group announced on December 29, 2023 that it has dropped its plans for a 10 GW HJT cell manufacturing facility. The company said that this decision is based on changes in the PV industry environment. It said that its follow-up research and expert opinions lead it to believe that it will face greater investment risks if it continues with its plans.
BAJ Solar starts construction on R&D center and Phase II module facility in Yangzhou: BAJ Solar has announced that it has officially commenced construction of the Yangzhou BAJ Solar R&D Center and the 2nd phase of its module project. The 1st phase of the 10 GW high-efficiency cell manufacturing facility was completed and put into operation within a span of 6 months last year. The company says that Phase II will act as an extension of Phase I.
Sunshine Energy's perovskite cell hits 25.05% conversion efficiency: Sunshine Energy has announced that its small-area perovskite cells (0.12 cm2) achieved a conversion efficiency of 25.05% in October 2023. The company says that this achievement has been certified by the Photovoltaic Testing Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In May 2023, it had achieved a conversion efficiency of 24.48%. The company says that it is currently working on a 10-20 MW mass production line which it plans to put into production soon.
Astronergy's modules powering Yunnan's 210 MW Xiaoheima PV plant: Recently, the Xiaoheima 210 MW photovoltaic power generation project was officially connected to the grid. The 4,500-acre project uses Astronergy's PV modules and is said to be the 1st centralized PV power station equipped with an intelligent integrated energy storage system in Yunnan Province. The project is expected to generate 330 million kWh of green electricity every year, saving 100,100 tons of standard coal and reducing 274,900 tons of CO2.
In December 2023, Astronergy received the ISO 14064 greenhouse gas verification certification and ISO 14067 product carbon footprint certification from BSI (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
JYT Corporation postpones plans for Leshan monocrystalline silicon ingot and wafer slicing facility: Solar wafer and equipment maker Beijing Jingyuntong Technology Co., Ltd., (JYT Corporation) has announced that it has postponed its plans for the Leshan silicon ingot and wafer slicing facility. Originally expected to start operations in December 2023, the company's board of directors decided at a meeting late last month to extend its estimated start-up time to December 2024, the company said. The company has cited the changes in the market environment as one of the major reasons for the delay.
Tongwei Solar sets TOPCon 182-72 version power record: Integrated solar PV manufacturer Tongwei Solar has announced that its 182-72 version TNC module has achieved a module front power of 607.4 W. This is about 20 W more than a commercially available module of the standard size (2278 mm × 1134 mm). The company says that this achievement has been certified by TÜV Rheinland. The conversion efficiency of the TNC module is 23.51%. The company attributes the record to its tubular PECVD ploy deposition technology and metallization strengthening technology, apart from other improvements and optimizations.