SEG Solar launches a 2 GW solar cell factory in Indonesia, part of its 5 GW plans
It will roll out high-efficiency n-type solar cells with an average efficiency of 26.4%
Its future plans for the factory include the development of a fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing chain
SEG Solar, the US-headquartered solar PV manufacturing company, has commissioned its maiden solar cell production facility in Indonesia with 2 GW annual capacity.
Under construction since September last year, it will roll out SEG’s self-developed high-efficiency n-type solar cell with an average conversion efficiency of 26.4%. The 4 production lines installed use the screen printing process with double-sided alternating printing equipment, achieving an average cycle time of 0.75 seconds/cell. This, the company claims, is 20% faster than the traditional industry standards.
The factory has also integrated a ‘disruptive, industry-first’ sintering process that boosts absolute conversion efficiency by 0.3%, according to SEG.
It forms phase I of the company’s plans for its Batang, Central Java located factory. In future iterations, it will expand the annual production capacity of the fab to 5 GW. Additionally, the plan is to develop a fully vertically integrated industrial chain covering silicon ingots, wafers, solar cells, and modules (see Indonesia’s ‘Largest’ Vertically Integrated Solar PV Industrial Park).
This factory will cater to the traceable green products requirement in the US, Europe and Indonesia. SEG’s annual module production capacity stands at over 6 GW, including a 2 GW factory installed in Texas in August 2024.
Indonesia and Laos are coming up as the regions of choice for manufacturers targeting the US market as the North American country imposes heavy tariffs on the usual bases of Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam (see US Solar Imports From Cambodia Hit Hardest With Final AD/CVD Duties).
As per Sinovoltaics, Southeast Asia accounted for 78.8 GW of solar module production capacity till last year. It is expected to expand to over 92 GW by 2027/2030, while the region’s cell capacity will expand from 50 GW to 68 GW (see Southeast Asia’s Solar Cell Production To Jump Up To 68 GW By 2030).