Astronergy’s TOPCon capacity update; Aiko Solar’s Q1/2023 financial results; GCL Integration to buy silicon wafers from GCL Technology; Youhua’s 20 GW TOPCon cell project in Yancheng; Runda commences GW-level TOPCon cell project; Gaoce to build 25 GW large silicon wafer project.
Astronergy manufacturing update: Chinese solar cell and module producer Astronergy had an eventful day on April 27, 2023 when it made significant moves on its 28 GW n-type TOPCon capacity. This day, n-type TOPCon cell equipment of 8 GW capacity was moved in new cell workshops and 12 GW TOPCon module equipment in 2 new workshops at Haining Manufacturing Base. These are expected to run at full load 60 days later. On the same day, another 8 GW TOPCon cell equipment arrived at the company’s Fengyang Manufacturing Base Workshop in Anhui province, ready to start trial run. Here, TOPCon cells will start rolling out in late May 2023, and run at full capacity in June 2023. Addition of the 20 GW capacity at Haining takes the manufacturing base’s production capacity to over 17 GW for cells and 24 GW for modules, it stated. At the recent TaiyangNews Distributed Solar & Storage Conference, Astronergy’s Xuanyi Shi presented about the Advantages of Astronergy’s TOPCon Products in Distributed PV Application (watch presentation here).
Aiko Solar’s Q1/2023 results: Aiko Solar’s Q1/2023 operating income declined 1.04% annually to RMB 7.74 billion, while net profit improved 208.78% to RMB 701 million, the company announced. Increase in net profit was attributed to decrease in the purchase price of raw materials, continuous improvement in the company’s production cost reduction and optimization of production capacity structure. At the recent TaiyangNews Distributed Solar & Storage Conference, Aiko’s Dr Shawn Li presented about How World Record Module Efficiencies Change Profitability for Rooftop Solar (watch presentation here).
GCL to source wafers from GCL Technology: GCL Integration says it intends to sign a sales contract to purchase 1.06 GW or about 138.8 million silicon wafers from GCL Technology (Suzhou) in 2023. Total purchase amount of the deal will not exceed RMB 900 million. It plans to use this capacity for 10 GW phase I of company’s Wuhi GCL 20 GW high-efficiency cell manufacturing project that’s currently under construction.
Youhua’s 20 GW TOPCon project: Youhua Technology’s 20 GW TOPCon solar cell project is set to come up in Yancheng Economic Development Zone. According to local media reports, the company expects to incur an investment of RMB 10 billion on the project whose annual output will be worth RMB 20 billion once fully ramped up. Phase I of the project is scheduled to enter construction by June 2023-end and come online before the end of January 2024.
Runda’s 10 GW TOPCon cell project Update: Runda Solar held the commencement ceremony for its 10 GW TOPCon cell project in Jianhu County’s Yancheng city in Jiangsu province on April 23, 2023. A day later, on April 24, 2023 the company also announced successful trial production of the 1st 210+n-type TOPCon module at the company’s Yancheng Runda production base.
Gaoce’s 25 GW silicon wafer project: Gaoce has announced it will invest around RMB 1 billion to construct a 25 GW large silicon wafer project. It is scheduled to be completed in 2024, following which another 25 GW will be installed under phase II. This project forms phase I of the company’s 50 GW large silicon wafer slicing project for which an agreement has been signed by Gaoce with Yibin High-tech industrial Park Management Committee.
