HJT cell and module maker Grand Sunergy has announced the successful rollout of the first module from its heterojunction (HJT) module production facility in Laizhou, Shandong Province. Part of the company's Laizhou HJT Dual-Carbon Industrial Park, the plant has an annual capacity of 5 GW. With this rollout, the Phase I’s 1.25 GW capacity has officially been commissioned. The company plans to proceed with the construction of 1.25 GW Phase II and subsequently the 2.5 GW Phase III.
The Laizhou park, the first phase of which broke ground in March 2024, is an integrated base for the production of HJT cells and modules. According to recent local media reports, with a target of 5 GW each of HJT cell and module capacity, the base is being built for a total investment of RMB 5.2 billion ($712.33 million).
Recently, Grand Sunergy announced its plans to build a new 2 GW HJT manufacturing facility in Hami, Xinjiang (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Perovskite manufacturer UtmoLight has announced that its 0.72 m² perovskite module has received certification from the China Quality Certification Center (CQC). The certification confirms that the mass-produced perovskite modules from the company's facility conform to the tested product sample.
UtmoLight currently operates a pilot manufacturing line with an annual capacity of 150 MW. In March this year, the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) certified that the 0.72 m² perovskite module produced by this line achieved a stabilized full-area efficiency of 18.1% (equivalent to 130.5 W), setting a global record for perovskite modules of square-meter scale at the time.
UtmoLight was recently recognized as one of the Outstanding Future Industry Innovators by China’s MIIT (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
ESS and inverter manufacturer Sungrow has established a public welfare foundation dedicated to improving the ecological environment. The foundation plans to raise RMB 200 million ($27.40 million) over the next 5 years to support 4 key areas: ecological restoration, community development, science education, and emergency response.
Among its initiatives are: afforestation and ecological conservation, exploration of cutting-edge technologies for climate change mitigation, and efforts to enhance environmental quality. The foundation also aims to support vulnerable groups, promote rural revitalization and inclusive development, engage in educational outreach and talent cultivation, and provide emergency assistance in the event of natural disasters, public health incidents, and social safety emergencies.
China’s Ministry of Natural Resources has officially classified high-purity quartz as the country’s 174th mineral category.
High-purity quartz refers to rock that, after beneficiation and purification, yields quartz sand with a silicon dioxide purity of no less than 99.995%. It is a critical material for strategic emerging industries such as semiconductors and photovoltaics. In the PV sector, it serves as the primary raw material for quartz crucibles.
Due to the uneven global distribution of high-purity quartz resources, China remains heavily reliant on imports. According to Xinhua News Agency, this new classification is expected to promote mineral exploration, mining rights establishment, and private capital investment, thereby strengthening the security of China’s high-tech industry supply chains.
Led by Energy China subsidiary Gezhouba Group, China has released 4 industry standards related to PV applications along highways, officially approved and published by the China Highway and Transportation Society.
The 4 standards and their contents are:
Operation and Maintenance Guidelines for Highway Slope PV Systems: This guideline aims to standardize the O&M procedures for PV systems installed on highway slopes, with the goal of enhancing system stability and power generation efficiency.
Technical Guidelines for PV Construction in Highway Zones: This document provides a comprehensive set of construction standards to guide contractors in building slope-mounted PV installations safely and efficiently within highway areas.
Guidelines for Light Environment Impact Assessment of Highway Slope PV Systems: This standard focuses on evaluating the impact of PV facilities on the light environment of significant buildings outside the highway boundary, aiming to prevent light pollution affecting nearby residential areas.
Guidelines for Traffic Safety Impact Assessment of Highway Slope PV Systems: This guideline assesses the impact of PV installations on traffic safety within highway zones, ensuring that such installations do not pose risks to road users.
These are recognized as the first comprehensive set of industry standards in China for the integration of transportation and energy, specifically targeting PV systems installed along highway slopes.
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