China PV News Snippets

Suntech delivers 680 MW solar modules for UAE project; GCL & Suneng enter JV; JinkoSolar constructing 6 GW solar cell & 6 GW module facility; TCL Zhonghuan backing subsidiary's efforts to build new national energy zone.

Suntech supplies 680 MW PV modules to Al Dhafra plant: Chinese solar cell and module manufacturer Suntech said via WeChat that it has delivered 680 MW photovoltaic modules to integrated engineering contracting services provider CMEC's Al Dhafra's PV2 solar power plant in the United Arab Emirates. Located in the desert, the Al Dhafra solar power plant has an installed capacity of 2,100 MW, a 33/400 kV step-up station, and supporting switch stations. Suntech has provided 545/540W high-efficiency PERC bifacial photovoltaic modules with 2.0 mm thick glass on the front and back to provide long time reliability and lower the risk of hidden cracks in extreme desert climate.

GCL Integration and Suneng partner for sales platform: Chinese solar PV cell and module manufacturer GCL Integration announced that it has signed a joint venture with producer and seller of silicon ingots, Suneng Photovoltaic. With this, both companies will establish a new sales platform company that will focus on creating a vertically integrated industrial chain. As the photovoltaic industry enters a new iteration cycle, vertical integration becomes significant to improve competitiveness and profitability. The new company will integrate the advantages of upstream granular silicon technology, which is produced by the GCL group, midstream cell and module manufacturing, to create a complete low-carbon industrial chain. This will in turn support the safety and stability of the company's supply chain, and also raise the company's low-carbon module premium ability and market share overseas.

JinkoSolar's high-efficiency cells and modules facility begins construction: Module supplier JinkoSolar's 6 GW high-efficiency cell and 6 GW high-efficiency module facility in in Yuanhua Town, Haining of Zhejiang province, has begun construction, according to local media reports. With an investment of RMB 4.5 billion ($0.66 billion), the facility will have information technology as the core and will be a digital enterprise production platform – right from R&D to production. This is expected to help create a smart photovoltaic industry 4.0 system for the entire industry chain. On completion, the annual output value is expected to reach around RMB 17 billion ($2.51 billion).  While the company has just introduced new high-efficienct TOPCon modules (see JinkoSolar Releases New Modules Under Tiger Neo Family), JinkoSolar's Leo Cong will be speaking at the TaiyangNews Solar Module Innovations Conference on January 31, 2023 about their latest module updates. For free registration, click here.

TCL Zhonghuan Holdings' expands in PV project development in Ningxia: Over a WeChat communication, China's TCL Zhonghuan Holdings Group, the parent company of leading wafer maker Zhonghuan, talked about its contribution to enable Ningxia build a national new energy zone. The company said that its wholly owned subsidiary – Zhonghuan New Energy – had invested in Zhonghuan Lingwu Majiatan 300 MW PV project (out of which 100 MW was part of Phase 1). The project has now been connected to the grid, along with distributed photovoltaic project of Zhonghuan Ningxia Industrial Park. This 300 MW project is Zhonghuan Holdings first self-organized EPC construction and also the first project in which the supporting energy storage unit is synchronized with the main project. With an investment of RMB 1.2 billion ($0.18 billion), the project uses Zhonghuan Holdings' high-efficiency shingled modules and produces an average annual green power supply of about 513 million kWh. Once it is completed, the project will be used for various services such as power grid peak regulation, black start, and demand response in the region.