CHINA PV NEWS Update-Week 09/10

Our weekly China PV News Overview provides select stories on solar developments in the world's largest PV market, which have been published on?TaiyangNews - All About Solar?over the course of the past 7 days. If you are interested in weekly solar updates on China, please subscribe. For our global daily newsletter, check our website https://taiyangnews.info/

Markets

National Bureau of Statistics releases Statistical Bulletin:?China's National Bureau of Statistics released the Statistical Bulletin of the People’s Republic of China on National Economic and Social Development in 2022. As per the report:

• the national power generation installed capacity was 2,564.05 GW, an increase of 7.8% over the end of the previous year, and
• the installed capacity of grid-connected solar power was 392.61 GW, an increase of 28.1%
• the annual output of solar cells increased by 46.8%.

Business

Prices / Wafers & Modules

TCL Zhonghuan releases silicon wafers prices:?Over a WeChat communication, leading solar wafer supplier TCL Zhonghuan announced the latest silicon wafers prices. Here are the details:

• p-type 150μm silicon wafers 182, 210, and 218.2 are now priced at RMB 6.22($0.792) /pc, RMB 8.2($1.044) /pc, and RMB 8.85 ($1.127) /pc, respectively
• n-type 130μm silicon wafers 182 and 210 are now priced at RMB 6.39 ($0.814) /pc and RBM 8.35 ($1.063) /pc, respectively
• The quotations for p-type 150μm silicon wafers and n-type 130μm thick silicon wafers have not changed since the previous quotations
• The quotation for n-type 140μm silicon wafers has not been announced before, and the quotations for n-type 110μm silicon wafers of 182 and 210 sizes have been newly added, and are priced at RMB 6.14 ($0.781) /pc and RMB 8.02 ($1.021) /pc, respectively

TCL Zhonghuan had announced its silicon wafer prices last in the first week of February (see?China PV News Snippets).

LONGi announces silicon wafer prices: Chinese vertically integrated solar PV company LONGi has announced the latest prices of its silicon wafers. Here are the details:

• The 150μm thick P-type M10 (182mm) silicon wafers is now priced at RMB 6.50/pc ($0.837/pc), which is RMB 0.25/pc ($0.032/pc) higher than the previous released price, an increase of 4% (3.98%).
• The 150um thick P-type M6 (166mm) silicon wafers is now priced at RMB 5.61/pc ($0.723/pc), which is RMB 0.21/pc ($0.027/pc) higher than the previous released price, an increase of 3.9%.

LONGi had last released silicon wafer prices in February (see?China PV News Snippets).

DAS Solar increases n-type product prices:?Releasing new prices for its n-type products, Chinese solar PV module and cell supplier DAS Solar said over WeChat that:

• the price of 182 bifacial monocrystalline n-type cells (mainstream efficiency ≥ 25.2%) is now at RMB 1.12/W ($0.143/W), which is RMB 0.07/W ($0.003/W) higher than the previous price, an increase of 6.67% (2.14%)
• the price of 182 bifacial double-glass n-type modules (mainstream power ≥ 575W) is now at RMB 1.93/W ($0.246/W), which is RMB 0.03/W ($0.004/W) higher than the previous price, an increase of 1.58% (1.6%).

Here is how DAS Solar had priced its n-type products recently (see?China PV News Snippets).

Production / Cells & Modules

SolarPlus to build factory in Kuming:?Photovoltaic equipment manufacturer, SolarPlus, announced via WeChat that it will be building a factory in Dongchuan, Kunming. The factory will have an investment of about RMB 10 billion ($1.4 billion), and will produce 5 GW high-efficiency photovoltaic modules, 5 GW solar cells and 4 GWh energy storage batteries. In the recently concluded TaiyangNews Virtual Conference on Solar Cell Production Equipment & Processing Materials, leading stakeholders spoke about the latest developments in this segment of the solar value chain. Please?click here to watch the videos of all the speakers.

JH Solar to invest in 10 GW solar module facility:?Solar photovoltaic module manufacturing enterprise JH Solar and the Anhui Fuyang Economic Development Zone held a signing ceremony for a solar module facility with an annual output of 10 GW, local media reports said. The investment will be about RMB 5 billion ($0.72 billion), and once put into production is expected to achieve an annual sales of RMB 11.5 billion ($1.67 billion). In January, JH Solar had partnered with ROPYAL to expand into the cell?and module market (see?China PV News Snippets).

Haitai Solar to invest in 3 GW n-type PV facility:?Green energy company Haitai Solar announced that it plans to build a 3 GW high-efficiency n-type solar photovoltaic module facility in Haigang District. Spread across 200mu, the facility will attract an investment of RMB 620 million. Recently, Haitai Solar declared a net profit of RMB 118 million in the year 2022 (see?China PV News Snippets).

Production / Cells & Modules / TOPCon

Astronergy n-type modules for Europe biggest TOPCon PV plant:?PV module manufacturer Astronergy announced that it has recently delivered about 154.4 MWdc of ASTRO N5 TOPCon PV modules to Germany. This is meant for Europe’s biggest TOPCon PV plant in D?llen (Brandenburg), which is being financed by the CEE Group and developed by Antlike Solar. Currently one of Germany’s largest open space PV parks, the D?llen PV project will sell energy on a PPA-basis, and be also part of climate stabilizing, energy rate reduction and power independence initiatives. Once the project is connected to the grid later this year, it will supply over 150,000 MWh of green electricity annually. At the TaiyangNews Solar Module Innovations 2023 conference, Astronergy?presented?its?roadmap towards achieving 34 GW+ TOPCon module capacity.

LONGi Ordos cell facility to adopt n-TOPCon technology:?Disclosing the investor relation activities, Chinese vertically integrated solar PV company?said?that its?Ordos cell facility, with a view to meet the needs of ground power station customers, will adopt N-TOPCon technology. Towards this, the equipment installation may begin by the third quarter of 2023. Meanwhile, at the TaiyangNews Solar Module Innovations Conference held in January 2023, Luka Qiu, Product Promoting Manager, LONGi spoke on the topic: A Year of Solar Efficiency Records. Looking Back and Forth (see?Luka Qiu, LONGi: 2022 – A Year of Solar Efficiency Records. Looking Back and Forth).

Production / Cadmium Telluride Thin-Film Solar Modules

Flat Glass to invest in CdTe thin-film module facility:?Photovoltaic glass giant Flat Glass Group said over WeChat that it will be investing in a 1 GW cadmium telluride thin-film cell and solar module facility. The total investment is about RMB 3 billion ($0.43 billion), and is part of the key projects that was signed in Wangdian Industrial Park of Jiaxing National High-tech Zone. In June 2022, Flat Glass had announced plans to raise RMB 6 billion (see?China PV News Snippets).

Supply / Production Equipment

J.S.Machine signs RMB 309 million sales deal:?Equipment manufacturing enterprise J.S.Machine?announced?that its wholly-owned subsidiary SC-SOLAR has signed a RMB 309 million ($44.5 million) sales deal with solar PV panel manufacturer JA Solar, for automatic typesetting machine, automatic assembly line, automatic packaging line and laminating machine equipment. Few days back J.S. Machine had announced that it will be selling production equipment to Tongwei Solar (see?China PV News Snippets).

Supply / Silicon Wafers

Shangji Automation signs RMB 13.6 sales deals:?PV production equipment maker and wafer company Shangji Automation announced that it has recently signed two long-term sales deals amounting to RMB 13.6 billion ($1.97 billion). Here are the details:

• The first deal is between Shangji Automation’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Hongyuan New Materials, and Canadian Solar, where the latter will purchase 10,000 tons of monocrystalline square rods and 250 million pieces of monocrystalline silicon wafers in 2023 (with a fluctuation of no more than 20%). The sales amount is expected to be RMB 5.3 billion ($0.77 billion) (tax included).
• The second deal is between Hongyuan New Materials and Jiangsu Xinchao, where the latter will buy monocrystalline silicon wafers to the tune of RMB 8.242 billion (tax included) from 2023 to 2026.

The sale prices will be negotiated on a monthly basis.

Supply / Solar Modules

Jinko Jingcai BIPV alliance launched & BIPV supply order:?Over a WeChat communication, module supplier JinkoSolar, said that it held the launching ceremony of Jingcai BIPV Alliance in Haining. This has been done under the guidance of the Steel Branch of China Construction Metal Association and the Zhejiang Provincial PV Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance. The BPIV Alliance, led by JinkoSolar, will bring together construction enterprises, investors, EPC, capital parties and other enterprises, with a common goal of conducting in-depth exchanges on developing BIPV. On the launch day, JinkoSolar also managed to bag 400 MW supply orders for its Jinko Crystal BIPV solution from 14 companies.

PV Projects

Trina Solar wins SPIC’s 100 MW mountain PV power station bid:?Over a WeChat communication, Chinese solar module manufacturer Trina Solar said that it has won the bid from SPIC Shaanxi Company for the Shanxi Lingshi 100 MW wind-solar-storage integrated photovoltaic project. With this win, Trina’s 210R Vertex 580W series modules will be used in the project, which is located amid low mountains and hills of Lingshi County, with an average altitude of about 1,200 meters to 1,500 meters. On completion of this project, the average annual power generation may exceed 170,000 MWh in 25 years.

Financial Results

HIUV New Materials 2022 total profits fall steeply:?Releasing its 2022?annual performance report, high-tech film technology enterprise HIUV New Materials said that it has realized a total operating income of RMB 5.3 billion ($0.77 billion), a year-on-year increase of 71.4%; and a total profit of RMB 33.4 million ($4.8 million), a YoY decrease of 87.8%. One of the main reasons for the fall in profit, the company said, was due to the rising cost of polysilicon materials during the reporting period, fall in the demand for adhesive films due to rising module costs, and changes in customer orders reduced the profit.

Crown Advanced Material registers RMB 94.9 million gains in 2022:?Releasing its 2022 performance report, Crown Advanced Material, a national high-tech enterprise specializing in the research and development, production and sales of new energy and new composite film materials,?said?that during 2022, it has achieved an operating income of RMB 1.5 billion ($0.22 billion), a year-on-year increase of 20.80%; and a net profit of RMB 94.9 million ($13.7 million), a year-on-year increase of 0.84%. The producer solar encapsulants said that it benefitted from the growth of the industry, which ultimately contributed to its rise in profits.

Testing & Certifications

TüV SüD certifies QC Solar:?Photovoltaic system and power storage products company QC Solar said via WeChat that TüV SüD has certified the company, based on the PPP 58211A:2022 standard for its photovoltaic connector. For this certification, TüV SüD conducted a series of safety and reliability test evaluations on QC Solar’s 2000V photovoltaic system connector. The focus was on the insulation and voltage resistance performance of the connector in different environment, and the product performed well throughout the test cycle, and was given the TüV SüD certification. TüV Süd will speak at?TaiyangNews??Solar & Sustainability Conference?on March 30, 2023. Registrations for this virtual event can be done for free?here.

Funding & Partnerships

Deye Technology to raise RMB 3.5 bn for 28.5 GW inverter project:?Large-scale manufacturing enterprise integrating R&D, design, production, sales and services, Ningbo Deye Technology, said that the Shanghai Stock Exchange has accepted its application for issuing stocks. The company plans to raise about RMB 3.5 billion ($0.5 billion). After deducting the issuance fee, the raised funds will be used for:

• Constructing a 25.5 GW string and energy storage inverter production line
• Constructing a 3 GW micro-inverter production line
• Constructing an inverter R&D center
• Replenishing working capital

Jinchen Solar raises RMB 1 billion for PVD equipment:?Chinese production equipment supplier?announced?that it has raised about RMB 1 billion ($0.14 billion) for its East China base project and its high-efficiency cell PVD equipment facility. With this funding, the company will be able to further research, develop, and industrialize HJT-PVD equipment. This company feels that its cell automation equipment, screen printing technology, and HJT PECVD equipment can come together to form the core equipment of the HJT whole line, and that different equipment and technologies can synergize and further reduce the cost of HJT whole line.

Lyric Robot to raise RMB 3.31 billion for cell production:?Lithium-ion battery equipment company, Lyric Robot,?announced?its plans to issue shares to the tune of RMB 3.31 billion ($0.48 billion). After deducting the issuance expenses, the raised funds will be used to build East China photovoltaic high-end equipment production base and the high-efficiency solar cell facilities. This move is expected to speed up the company’s HJT cell equipment initiatives as the focus will be mainly on research and development, and production of high-end photovoltaic equipment, especially the HJT cell equipment.

Tongwei signs 100 MW PV module deal with Austrian Minlea:?Integrated solar PV manufacturer from China, Tongwei Solar announced that its overseas team has introduced its solar module products to Austrian photovoltaic supplier Minlea at the Energie Sparmesse Expoenergy exhibition. This then led to both the companies signing a supply deal of 100 MW. This deal is significant because with this, Tongwei modules penetrate the European market.

Technology

Efficiency Records

UtmoLight’s perovskite PV module efficiency touches 19.9%:?Over a WeChat communication, China based solar technology company Wuxi Utmost Light Technology Co Ltd (UtmoLight) said that the conversion efficiency of its 809.8 cm2 large-scale perovskite photovoltaic module has touched 19.9%. This was tested and certified by the international authority – JET and is supposed to be the highest efficiency record for large-scale perovskite modules in the industry, the company added. Last year, Utmost Light had achieved 18.2% efficiency for its perovskite solar module over a large area of 756 cm2 (see?18.2% Efficiency For Large Size Perovskite Solar Module).

Mingyang Smart Energy announces new efficiency record in perovskite cells:?Thin-film photovoltaic R&D team of Mingyang Smart Energy said over WeChat that the efficiency of the cell on a 5×5 substrate has reached 22.30%, creating a new record for the efficiency of perovskite thin-film cells. This, the team said is a major breakthrough in the development of perovskite cells. Earlier this year, Mingyang Smart Energy said that it has achieved production milestone for 5 GW high efficiency heterojunction (HJT) solar cell and 2 GW high efficiency HJT module facilities (see?China PV News Snippets).

TAIYANGNEWS VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

TaiyangNews Solar & Sustainability Virtual Conference: As the solar industry is growing rapidly and massive volumes of solar systems are being installed around the world, it’s important that sustainability topics are not forgotten. While solar is sustainable in itself, it’s still an industrial product, requires space, and has an end to its life. The 1st?TaiyangNews - All About Solar?Solar & Sustainability Conference will take a look into the topic from various angles – including material suppliers, manufacturers, developers, and certification bodies. The Conference will take place on?#30March?2023 from 09:30-13:45 CET. Do join us. Registrations are?#free. Click here to?#registernow:?https://lnkd.in/e_Qpz3BJ

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