In its latest global solar supply chain utilization report, InfoLink Consulting projects a significant month-on-month decline in production schedules for the mid- to downstream sectors in February, driven by volatile silver prices and the Chinese New Year holidays.
Polysilicon output is projected to drop from 109,000 MT in January to 92,000 MT in February, with production cuts at both domestic and overseas facilities amid weak demand and cost pressures.
Wafer production reached ~46.6 GW in January. Despite production cuts in the downstream cell sector, wafer manufacturers remain conservative about reducing utilization, with February output estimated at 45.8 GW – largely flat month-on-month – raising concerns over potential inventory accumulation.
Solar cell output reached 41.9 GW in January, but is expected to fall by roughly 9% to 38.3 GW in February, as rising silver costs severely squeeze margins; TOPCon technology accounts for approximately 84% of the market.
Module production stood at around 40 GW in January, but February schedules are expected to slide by 12 to 13% to 34-35 GW due to cost pressures and the end of the export rush driven by tax rebate adjustments.
PV manufacturer and developer CECEP Solar announced the acquisition of a 100% stake in Jinhua Fengling New Energy Development Co., Ltd. for RMB 527 million in cash. The core asset is a 600 MW agrivoltaic project (600 MW AC / 710 MW DC) in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province.
The project was grid-connected in May 2025 and is expected to generate over 740 million kWh annually. CECEP Solar stated that this is its largest single-unit installed capacity acquisition to date.
China Huadian Group has opened bids for its 2026 centralized procurement of 8 GW of solar PV modules (see China Solar PV News Snippets). Divided into 2 sections, Section 1 of the tender covers 6 GW of n-type high-efficiency modules with conversion efficiency ≥23.8%, while Section 2 calls for 2 GW of n-type standard modules with efficiency ≥22.8%.
According to industry media Zhihui PV, 32 module manufacturers participated in the tender. Section 1 bid prices ranged from RMB 0.76/W to RMB 0.923/W, averaging RMB 0.883/W, while bids in Section 2 ranged from RMB 0.78/W to RMB 1.018/W, with an average of RMB 0.844/W.
China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) has approved power supply plans for the ‘Desert, Gobi, and Waste Land’ energy bases in the Kubuqi Desert, Ordos, designed to transmit electricity to Shanghai and Jiangsu.
The Kubuqi-to-Shanghai base comprises 8 GW of solar, 4.5 GW of wind, 2.64 GW of supporting coal capacity, and 9 GWh of energy storage, with a total investment of ~RMB 63.2 billion. The Kubuqi-to-Jiangsu base plans 8 GW of solar, 4 GW of wind, 2.64 GW of coal, and 8.16 GWh of storage, totaling ~RMB 64.2 billion.
Upon completion, the projects are expected to deliver about 72 billion kWh (~72 TWh) annually to East China, with renewables accounting for over 60% of the total.
Power and magnetic component manufacturer Mentech announced the termination of its ‘Safe Smart PV-Storage System’ intelligent manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. The company planned to invest a total of RMB 54.87 million in this project, including RMB 35 million from the funds raised. At the time of termination, cumulative investment stood at RMB 1.32 million.
Mentech attributed the decision to macroeconomic factors and market fluctuations, noting that demand in relevant application areas and broader industry trends fell short of expectations. The company has reallocated the remaining funds to other new projects.