WEEKLY CHINA SOLAR PV NEWS UPDATE: WEEK 42

16 solar companies reach consensus on cut-throat industry competition; JA Solar ’s 5 GW Bayannur solar module base rolls out 1st module; 天合光能 supplies over 1 GW of Vertex N-type 720 W modules. All these and a host of other news stories from China in our Weekly China Solar PV News Overview. If you are interested in weekly solar updates on China, please subscribe. For our global daily newsletter, check our website https://taiyangnews.info/

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MARKETS

16 solar companies reach consensus on cut-throat industry competition: The China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) convened a roundtable with multiple Chinese solar companies to address ‘involution’ – a term referring to the vicious cycle of intense, irrational competition in the industry. CPIA noted that the recent continuous price declines in the solar market have led to unhealthy competition, prompting the need to preserve fair market practices. Company representatives exchanged views on ‘strengthening industry self-discipline, preventing 'involution' competition, reinforcing the survival of the fittest mechanism, and creating pathways for the exit of outdated and inefficient capacity’ at the meeting, as well as ensuring the healthy and sustainable development of the industry. A total of 16 companies participated, including leading enterprises like JinkoSolar, LONGi, JA Solar, Trinasolar, Canadian Solar, and Tongwei Solar. CPIA did not disclose specific details of the meeting's outcomes.

Power Supply Planning scheme for 11 GW Badain Jaran Desert RE base approved: China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) has approved the power supply planning scheme for the UHVDC (Ultra High Voltage Direct Current) transmission project, supporting the development of the 11 GW new energy base in the Badain Jaran Desert, Gansu Province. With this approval, the construction of the Badain Jaran Desert project primarily located in Jiuquan and Zhangye cities. Led by CHN Energy, the power supply plan includes 11 GW of new energy capacity, 4 GW of supporting coal power, and energy storage of no less than 1.4 GW (4 hours), with appropriate deployment of concentrated solar power (CSP). The project will be developed in coordination with the construction schedule of the UHV transmission line to ensure that coal power and new energy projects are completed and put into operation on time.

China's September polysilicon production up 6%, wafer production down 16%: China’s state-owned non-ferrous metals industry consultancy Antaike has released a report that pegs the country’s polysilicon output for September at 138,000 tons. This is an increase of 8,250 tons from August 2024, reflecting a 6.36% month-on-month (MoM) growth. Wafer production for the month was 44.31 GW, which was down 15.76% MoM. As of the end of September, China's production capacity of n-type wafers stood at 915 GW, while p-type wafer capacity was 161 GW. Antaike forecasts that China's polysilicon production in October will increase to around 142,000 tons, a growth of 2.9% MoM, and wafer production is expected to rise to 46 GW to 48 GW, reflecting a 6.1% MoM increase.

NEA seeks public opinion on Management Measures for Distributed Solar Development and Construction: China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) has issued a draft seeking public opinion on Management Measures for the Development and Construction of Distributed Solar Power Generation. The document categorizes distributed solar PV power generation into 4 types: residential for natural persons, residential for non-natural persons, general commercial and industrial, and large commercial and industrial. The grid connection modes include full feed-in tariff, full self-consumption, and self-consumption with surplus power fed into the grid. For large commercial and industrial distributed solar, projects with a public connection point voltage level of 35 kV and a total installed capacity not exceeding 20 MW, or a voltage level of 110 kV (66 kV) and a total installed capacity not exceeding 50 MW, must choose the full self-consumption mode. The document also encourages various legally compliant electricity users, investment enterprises, specialized contract energy service companies, and natural persons to act as investment entities to develop, construct, and operate distributed solar projects in accordance with laws and regulations.

BUSINESS

Production / Cells & Modules

Jinergy's special scenario solar module development project approved: PV manufacturer and clean energy provider Jinergy, in partnership with Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, has received approval for its project called ‘Development of Solar Modules for Special Scenarios’ from the Technology Bureau of Lüliang City, Shaanxi Province. The project focuses on adapting solar modules to extreme environments, including high temperatures, high humidity, strong UV radiation, heavy snowfall, and sandstorms. The goal is to promote large-scale application of the products in such special scenarios through optimized material selection and structural design. The development will include UV-resistant modules, high-pressure-resistant modules, and dust-resistant modules, targeting specific environmental challenges. In May, Jinergy received TUV Nord certification for its 210R rectangular and 210 square n-type TOPCon modules (see China Solar PV News Snippets).

JA Solar’s 5 GW Bayannur solar module base rolls out 1st module: Vertically integrated solar panel maker JA Solar has announced that its 5 GW solar module manufacturing base in Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia, has produced its first module. The project, with a total planned investment of RMB 1.4 billion ($197.18 million), covers 380 acres and includes the construction of high-efficiency solar module production workshops with an annual capacity of 5 GW and supporting facilities. Once fully completed, the project is expected to achieve an output value of RMB 4 billion ($563.11 million). The project, which was signed in April and commenced in July, took just 97 days to progress from the start of construction to the production of the first module. Late last month, JA Solar officially registered as a TNFD Adopter, saying it is the first among the photovoltaic industry to do so (see China Solar PV News Snippets).

Jinchen inaugurates manufacturing headquarters: Solar manufacturing equipment maker Jinchen Corporation inaugurated Phase I of its East China Intelligent Manufacturing Headquarters on October 9, 2024, along with a groundbreaking ceremony for Phase II. The manufacturing facility is located in the Taihu Science and Technology Industrial Park in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, with a total investment of RMB 480 million ($67.87 million). Phase I covers an area of 9,133 m2, and Phase II covers 18,007 m2. With this facility, the company plans to focus on businesses such as intelligent automatic production lines for high-efficiency solar modules, next-generation core process equipment for high-efficiency solar cells, and industrial robots. In August, Jinchen’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Suzhou Jinchen, signed a land-use rights-transfer contract with the Suzhou Municipal Bureau to construct phase II of its manufacturing facility in Suzhou city (see China Solar PV News Snippets).

Production / Cells & Modules / Perovskite

PEROVS starts construction on 3 GW perovskite cell fab: Perovskite cell and module maker PEROVS has commenced construction on its 3 GW perovskite solar cell and module production facility. Located in Baisha Industrial Park, Jiangjin District, Chongqing City, the project is being built with a total investment of RMB 5?billion ($707.06?million). It will construct 3 GW perovskite cell module production lines in 2 phases. PEROVS claims to have built the world's first 550 mm × 650 mm perovskite cell production line and has achieved a flexible perovskite solar cell with an efficiency of 22%.

Production / Glass

Taiheyuan breaks ground on 1.5 million ton solar glass plant: Solar glass manufacturer Taiheyuan New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. has commenced construction on an office building for its solar glass production project in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province. The project, with a total investment of RMB 4.5 billion ($625 million), spans 1,503 acres and includes plans for 4 production lines, each with a 1,200-ton per day capacity. The facility will feature a single furnace with 5 lines for photovoltaic rolled glass production. Taiheyuan New Energy also plans to utilize waste heat from the production lines for power generation. The project is expected to start production in April 2026 and, once fully operational, is estimated to achieve an annual output value of RMB 5 billion ($694 million).

Supply / Cells & Modules

Trinasolar supplies over 1 GW of Vertex N-type 720 W modules: Vertically integrated solar module manufacturer Trinasolar has announced that it has supplied over 1 GW of its Vertex N-type 720 W series modules to the Jinsha River upstream clean energy base. Module installation is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The project is one of the 102 major engineering projects under China's 14th Five-Year Plan and the National Water, Wind and Solar Integration Demonstration Base. The projects are located in Anduo Township, Mangkang County, Tibet and Lato Township, Gongjue County, at altitudes ranging 4,200 to 4,800 m above MSL. After the project is completed, the annual power generation will be about 5.1 TWh, which can save about 1.67 million tons of standard coal and reduce CO2 emissions by 3.74 million tons each year.

Supply / Cells & Modules / TOPCon

China Huadian shortlists bidding candidates for 16 GW module procurement project: Power developer China Huadian has released the shortlisted candidates for its 2024 second batch of centralized solar module procurement. This tender is divided into 3 packages, totaling 16.03 GW. The first package aims to procure 14 GW of n-type bifacial TOPCon modules, with efficiency requirements above 22.3%. JinkoSolar and Trinasolar were among the 10 shortlisted companies, with bid prices ranging from RMB 0.665 ($0.094) to 0.7129/W ($0.101/W), averaging RMB 0.6854/W ($0.097/W). Section 2 involves the procurement of 500 MW of n-type HJT/BC modules with efficiency above 22.6%, where 6 companies including LONGi Green Energy and Huasun were shortlisted, with bid prices ranging from RMB 0.7611 ($0.108) to 0.8/W ($0.113/W), averaging RMB 0.7827/W ($0.111/W). The third package 1.53 GW of n-type TOPCon modules with efficiency above 22.4%, saw bid prices range from RMB 0.695 ($0.098) to 0.72/W ($0.102/W), averaging RMB 0.7038/W ($0.099/W).

Supply / Cells & Modules / HJT

POWERCHINA shortlists 1 GW HJT bids from Huasun, Risen Energy, Winhitech, and SPIC: Huasun, Risen Energy, Winhitech, and SPIC have been shortlisted as candidates for the Power Construction Corporation of China’s (POWERCHINA) heterojunction (HJT) module procurement. In September, POWERCHINA announced a bid for its first batch of 1.5 GW n-type bifacial dual-glass HJT modules, divided into 3 packages. The modules are required to have a power output of over 710 W. The bidding process recently covered the first and second packages, with a total procurement of 1 GW. The shortlisted companies submitted bid prices ranging from RMB 0.8078/W ($0.114/W) to RMB 0.87/W $0.123/W), with an average price of RMB 0.851/W, ($0.120/W).

Research & Development

Autowell ventures into TOPCon-Perovskite tandem equipment R&D: Automation equipment manufacturer Autowell has announced plans to adjust various aspects of its business and the implementation timeline of certain previously funded projects, including its TOPCon cell equipment facility. This facility initially had a total planned investment of RMB 100 million ($14.12 million), including RMB 96 million ($13.49 million) in raised funds, mainly for the development of boron diffusion and LPCVD equipment. Citing increasing interest from major downstream cell manufacturers in TOPCon-perovskite tandem cell technology, the company has now decided to align with industry technology trends. This includes reducing investments in LPCVD and boron diffusion equipment and increasing research and development investments in core equipment for TOPCon-perovskite tandem technology. Recently, Autowell announced that it plans to raise its stake in its subsidiary, Wuxi Songci Electromechanical Co., Ltd. (Songci Electromechanical) (see China Solar PV News Snippets).

Recognition & Certification

LONGi's latest HJT back contact cell research published in Nature: Leading solar manufacturer LONGi recently published a research paper titled Silicon heterojunction back contact solar cells by laser patterning in Nature, reporting a breakthrough in silicon solar cell technology. The research details how an all-laser patterning process enabled silicon solar cells to achieve over 27% photoelectric conversion efficiency for the first time. The R&D team developed a novel dense heterojunction (HJT) passivated contact, surpassing the industry’s previous bottleneck of 180-210°C in heterojunction preparation, reaching a process temperature of 240°C. Additionally, they introduced a low-indium, silver-free metallization solution using the laser patterning process. LONGi stated that this achievement represents a new milestone in photovoltaic technology based on silicon materials. LONGi has expanded its Hi-MO solar module series with the introduction of Hi-MO X10 panels, offering a power output of up to 670 W and an efficiency of 24.8% (see LONGi ‘Breaks’ Global Module Mass Production Efficiency Record).

JinkoSolar’s TOPCon modules deliver 6.95% higher energy yield than p-type BC modules: A TüV Nord study in Kagoshima, Japan, involving JinkoSolar’s TOPCon modules showed they outperform p-type BC modules by an average of 2.22% and up to 6.95% in energy yield during a 1-month test period. The test involved 3 module types: JinkoSolar’s 575 W TOPCon module, a 580 W p-type BC module, and a 605 W n-type BC module, all mounted on fixed tilt racks. JinkoSolar’s TOPCon modules delivered 136.86 kWh/kW, surpassing p-type BC (133.87 kWh/kW) and n-type BC (129.98 kWh/kW). The test showed that superior bifaciality, lower temperature coefficient, and reduced current leakage helped TOPCon perform better under various weather conditions, including rainy days. Specifically, on October 2, the TOPCon module generated 6.95% more energy than p-type BC and, on October 6, outperformed n-type BC by 9.06%. TOPCon also achieved the highest performance ratio at 94.19%, compared to 91.99% for p-type BC and 89.29% for n-type BC, affirming its reliability across diverse climates. Recently, Jinko Power reached a residential solar asset transaction cooperation with Avenue Capital Group, completing the first batch transaction of a 268 MW residential asset package (see China Solar PV News Snippets).

UtmoLight's perovskite modules generate 16.14% more power per Watt than PERC modules: The China Photovoltaic Testing Center (CPVT) has published a report on the outdoor performance of UtmoLight's perovskite modules under standardized conditions. According to the report, UtmoLight’s perovskite modules at CPVT’s Yinchuan test site demonstrated stable power output from July to September without noticeable degradation. Under comparable testing conditions, the daily average DC power generation per Watt of the perovskite modules exceeded that of silicon PERC modules by 11.85% to 16.14%. The modules also achieved an average daily performance ratio (PR) of 99%, surpassing silicon-based modules. The report further noted that during the test period, the perovskite modules' daily maximum operating temperature was on average up to 4.07°C lower than that of silicon PERC modules. Last month, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) selected UtmoLight as one of the Little Giant enterprises in the 6th batch of China's Specialized, Refined, Differentiated, and Innovative (SRDI) enterprises (see China Solar PV News Snippets).

JTPV’s cell products produced at Huai'an Base pass French carbon footprint certification: Drinda Group company Jietai Solar (JTPV) has announced that the n-type TOPCon 182 mm/199 mm/210 mm series of cell products produced at its Huai'an Base have obtained the French carbon footprint certification. With this certification, these products have achieved international standards in terms of environmental performance, obtaining access to the French photovoltaic market. During the certification process, the French certification agency Kapstan conducted multiple rounds of detailed carbon emissions verification on JTPV's raw material procurement, solar cell production, product transportation and warehousing. The certification results show that the carbon footprint quantification process of the company's products strictly complies with the verification standards and has excellent carbon emissions performance in the industry.

Risen Energy's HJT Hyper-ion modules pass enhanced cyclic wind pressure tests: Risen Energy recently announced that its HJT Hyper-ion modules have passed enhanced cyclic wind pressure tests conducted by an authoritative third-party organization. The tests were said to be conducted according to AS/NZS 1170 "Structural Design Guidelines" and incorporated relevant provisions of the "Australian Building Code (BCA)." The tests simulated a low-high-low cyclic extreme wind pressure environment to assess the mechanical performance of the modules. Risen Energy's HJT Hyper-ion modules demonstrated stability and durability under extreme climate conditions, said the announcement. Risen Energy recently delivered the first batch of its HJT modules for Lot 1 of the Hebei Communications Investment Group's 2023 centralized procurement (see China Solar PV News Snippets).

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