Vertically integrated solar PV manufacturer from China, Trina Solar has officially started commercial production of 210mm monocrystalline silicon wafers at its 6.5 GW factory in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen.  

The initial 12-inch silicon ingot, 300mm in diameter, was rolled off the production line on August 4, 2023 in the fab which is part of the company’s supply chain diversification efforts. It employs 700 locals, stated the company.   

Wafers produced here will be shipped to the US market, and also to Trina’s own cell and module facilities in Vietnam and Thailand.  

Trina’s wafer factory is also equipped with monocrystalline pulling, silicon ingot square processing, slicing and silicon processing. The same fab also has a cell production capacity of 4 GW and module capacity of 5 GW.   

“The Vietnam factory’s production of silicon ingots and wafers will ensure a steady supply of materials for other module production sites the company has overseas,” stated the company.  

Recently, Trina was named by the US Department of Commerce as one of the 5 companies found to be circumventing tariffs imposed on Chinese solar cells and modules, by routing their products to the US via Southeast Asian markets of Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Trina was alleged to be circumventing via Thailand (see US Circumvention Investigation Comes To A Close).