China PV News Snippets

JinkoSolar's orders in 2023 are mainly for n-type modules; Trina to raise funds for Czochralski facility; Zirconium to build PV module facilities; Consort Solar's PV fab foundation stone laid; Jietai Technology Chuzhou TOPCon factory produces first n-type cell.

JinkoSolar signs maximum n-type modules orders in 2023: Module supplier JinkoSolar stated at an investor interaction platform that more than half of the orders signed in 2023 till now are for n-type module orders, and the order price of the n-type is about RMB 0.1/W ($0.015/W) higher than the P-type on average. Compared with P-type, the n-type modules have higher power generation per watt, lower system cost, and greater room for efficiency improvement, and in 2023, the company feels that its equity silicon material production capacity and long-term locked-in volume can meet the company's n-type crystal pulling needs. In addition to this, in 2023, Jinko plans to grow its energy storage business and has planned a certain capacity in battery storage BESS deployments across the residential, industrial, commercial, and utility-scale sectors. These would be rolled out in phases over this year.

Trina to raise RMB 8.8 billion for Czochralski facility: Chinese solar module manufacturer Trina Solar announced that it will be issuing convertible corporate bonds to unspecified objects to the tune of RMB 8.8 billion ($1.29 billion). After deducting issuance expenses, the net proceeds will be used towards Czochralski puller production capacity. Once the facility reaches capacity, it is expected to achieve an annual production of 35 GW n-type monocrystalline silicon rods. The total investment on the facility is about RMB 8.5 billion ($1.24 billion), towards which RMB 6.2 billion ($0.91 billion) of the raised funds will be used. The facility that will be completed in 24 months will be built in 2 phases, of which the first phase will be of 20 GW and the second phase will be of 15 GW. Earlier this month, Low Carbon had contracted Trina Solar to supply its solar modules under a framework agreement (see Trina Solar Bags 1 GW Module Order For Europe)

Zirconium to build photovoltaic cell/module facilities: Solar energy technology development company Zirconium Technology, over a WeChat communication, said that the signing ceremony of its high-efficiency crystalline silicon 10 GW solar cell and 10 GW photovoltaic module facility was held in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia. The facility has an investment of about RMB 5 billion ($0.74 billion) and will be constructed in three phases:

• The first phase will build a 5 GW PV module factory with an investment of RMB 1 billion ($0.15 billion) and will be completed by the end of 2023.
• The second phase will also build 5 GW photovoltaic module capacity with an investment of RMB 1 billion ($0.15 billion), and will be completed by December 2024. This facility will be later expanded to 10 GW.
• The third phase will see the construction of 10 GW solar cell capacity with an investment of RMB 3 billion ($0.44 billion), which will be completed by December 2025.

Foundation stone laid for Consort Solar PV fab: Consort Solar, which is into R&D, manufacturing and sales of high-efficiency solar cells, announced over WeChat that the foundation stone has been laid for its 2 GW solar high-efficiency module facility in Huishan district. Spread across an area of 47,600 square meters, the total investment of the facility is about RMB 600 million ($88.2 million), and once it reaches its full capacity, the output value is expected to exceed RMB 2 billion ($0.29 billion).

Jietai Technology Chuzhou TOPCon facility produces first n-type cell: Over WeChat, solar cell products company, Jietai Technology, said that its 10 GW n-type TOPCon cell facility in Chuzhou, which is in the second phase, has successfully produced its first cell. The second phase took about 34 days – right from the time the first equipment entered the site to the first cell being produced.