One Belt, One Road, lots more GCL sales

For all the geopolitical jitters China’s Belt and Road initiative is causing in Washington and some European capitals, it is undeniably helping big Chinese companies diversify into new markets, if GCL’s Eric Luo is to be believed.

In a press release issued by GCL System Integration Technology Co Ltd to publicize the company’s new “cast-mono” PV wafer and panels, chairman Luo said the business had seen a “40-50%” rise in sales this year in countries encompassed by Beijing’s ambitious infrastructure development program, compared to last year’s figures.

With the world’s biggest solar market still digesting the effects of Beijing’s attempt to reduce public solar subsidies, and speed up PV’s tilt for grid parity, business growth in Belt and Road and other marketplaces helped GCL System record 80% of its sales outside China so far this year, compared to 52% last year.

Not that Luo was critical of China’s new solar policy, which he said would speed grid parity across the nation. In fact, the chairman went on to predict grid parity solar would arrive around the world by the end of the year.

A mono future

GCL System embodies the global shift to higher efficiency modules with the manufacturer this year intending to produce 6.5-7 GW of monocrystalline products, outweighing the volume of multicrystalline panels made by GCL for the first time.

With European and “American” markets also offering healthy prospects in terms of rising demand, Luo said GCL System expects to sell around 1 GW of its cast-mono products.

The company claims its cast-mono wafers and modules – which it says combine “monocrystalline cell manufacturing technology and multicrystalline ingot casting technology” – offer an efficiency of up to 19.4%.

pv magazine’s Mark Hutchins spoke to GCL System at the Intersolar Europe show and will bring more details soon.