JA Solar grid-connects 5 MW / 10 MWh ESS at Yangzhou base
Vertically integrated solar module manufacturer JA Solar has announced that it has successfully grid-connected a 5MW/10MWh C&I energy storage power plant at its Yangzhou manufacturing base. The plant utilizes JA Solar’s BlueGalaxy 1,500 V liquid-cooled energy storage system (ESS), which is grid-connected through a 10 kV interface. The system includes 3 energy storage units of 3.354 MWh each with a rated power of 1,725 kW, and one centralized control unit. The company says the ESS is equipped with an advanced battery management system (BMS) that monitors operating parameters and enhances efficiency. Its liquid-cooled management system is said to be able to maintain the temperature difference between cells at less than 3°C, which ensures that the battery operates optimally for longer. The battery pack system comes with an IP67 protection rating.
In mid-August, JA Solar said that it has signed a deal to supply over 600 MW of its flagship n-type DeepBlue 4.0 Pro modules to Aboitiz Renewables, Inc. (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Seraphim and Serawing Solar commission 1 GW TOPCon cell fab
Solar cell and module maker Seraphim Energy Group and its affiliated company, Serawing Solar, have commissioned their 1 GW TOPCon high-efficiency cell production line. Seraphim says this commissioning is a significant step forward in its commitment to advancing solar technology and driving the transition to a greener, more sustainable world. It said further that the new cell production line helps leverage its vertically integrated value chain ‘and further strengthen its market competitiveness through superior quality control and technological advancement.’
Seraphim Energy Group recently secured a 300 MW distribution agreement with Brazil and Latin America-focused energy solutions distributor Vertys Energy Group (see Latin America PV News Snippets).
Trina Solar and Redsolar win 335 MW module tender
Energy developer Guangdong Power Development Co., Ltd. has announced the winning bidders for the 3rd batch of its solar module tender in 2024. The tender will procure modules for 4 solar projects invested and constructed by Guangdong Power Development and its subsidiaries. Split into 2 sections, with a bid price of RMB 0.698/W ($0.098/W), Hunan Redsolar was the winner in Section 1 for 150 MW of 182 mm n-type modules with a front-side power output of no less than 580 W. Trina Solar was announced as the winner of the 185 MW Section 2, with a bid price of RMB 0.756/W ($0.1064/W) for 210 mm n-type modules with a front-side power output of no less than 700 W.
Trina Solar’s TOPCon-based Vertex N 720W series modules achieved a low degradation rate of 1.6% in the CGC’s UV300 test (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
SC-SOLAR launches new XBC and perovskite cell manufacturing equipment
Solar equipment maker SC-SOLAR has launched 2 new solar cell manufacturing equipment, one for XBC cells and the other for perovskite. The company says the XBC series wet-process equipment enhances silicon wafer surface cleanliness and passivation, ensuring ultra-clean results after image processing and applying a single-sided barrier film using CVD. The company claims this equipment is the first of its kind to offer fully automated data collection and Statistical Process Control (SPC) management, enabling real-time detection and visualization of key parameters.
The second product, a large-area perovskite vacuum sputtering machine, is designed for nanocoating the hole transport and front passivation layers of perovskite cells. It is capable of handling glass substrates up to 2.4 m x 1.2 m, achieving a 30-second production cycle per piece, claims the company. SC-SOLAR describes this as China’s first self-developed ultra-large vertical rotating sputtering equipment for the perovskite industry.
Tongwei's H1 2024 net profit drops over 123%
Tongwei Co., Ltd. (Tongwei), the parent company of Tongwei Solar, has reported that its revenues for the first half of 2024 declined 40.87% year-on-year (YoY) to RMB 43.8 billion ($6.18 billion). For the 6-month period, the company reported a net loss of RMB 3.13 billion ($441.68 million), down 123.58% YoY, and a net loss excluding non-recurring items of RMB 3.18 billion ($449.14 million), down 125.19% YoY.
Tongwei's achieved high-purity polysilicon sales of 228,900 tons during the period, which was up 28.82% YoY. Its solar cell shipments, including internal use, totaled 35 GW, with module sales totaling 18.67 GW for the period. The company said that it added a 320 MW fisheries-solar integration power project during H1 2024. It said that it had built 54 solar PV power plants as of the end of June, with 4.39 GW of grid-connected capacity.
As of the end of H1 2024, the company had an annual capacity of over 650,000 tons of high-purity polysilicon, 95 GW of solar cells, and 75 GW of modules. The company expects its high-purity polysilicon capacity to reach 800,000 to 1 million tons by 2026, with its solar cell capacity reaching 130-150 GW and module capacity 80-100 GW.
AIKO sees sharp decline in H1 2024 revenues
Solar cell and module manufacturer AIKO has reported revenues of RMB 5.16 billion ($728.74 million) for the first half of 2024, down 68.23% YoY. The company reported a net loss attributable to shareholders of RMB 1.74 billion ($245.73 million), down 233.30% YoY, and a net profit attributable to shareholders, excluding non-recurring items, of RMB 2.48 billion ($350.47 million), down 295.92% YoY.
AIKO sold 12.84 GW of solar cells during the reporting period, with p-type PERC cells accounting for 100% of the total. Sales of n-type ABC modules reached 1.62 GW, which was a significant increase of 232% over FY 2023. In the first half of 2024, the company launched an n-type full-screen ABC module series featuring a maximum efficiency of 25.2%, which is 6% to 10% higher power than n-type mainstream TOPCon modules of the same size.
AIKO said that Phase I of its Zhuhai base, with 10 GW of n-type ABC cell and module capacity, has been completed. The first phase of its Yiwu base, with 15 GW of n-type ABC cell and module manufacturing capacity, was partially complete, with 7.5 GW of capacity debugged and ramped up. The construction of Phase I of its 10 GW n-type ABC cell and module capacity in Jinan City is ongoing and is expected to be operational in H1 2025.
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