Chinese PV Industry Brief: Inner Mongolia set for 5 GW solar-storage-hydrogen complex

The GD Power Development Co Ltd renewables arm of state-owned China Energy Investment Corp last week announced it had signed a framework agreement with the government of the Inner Mongolian city of Yijin Holo Banner for construction of a 5 GW solar-storage-hydrogen complex. The facility will cost an estimated RMB22 billion (US$3.26 billion) and is expected to generate more than 8.5 TWh per year. The project will be connected to an ultra-high-voltage power line the State Grid Corp of China is building to connect the far northwestern parts of the country to the more densely populated eastern provinces. That 1,587km, RMB22.6 billion power line project will include two converter stations with 8 GW of transmission capacity and will cross the Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, and Henan provinces.

Hong Kong-based, Nasdaq-listed solar company Sky Solar said yesterday it has been acquired, through a stock sale, by Square Acquisition Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of Square Limited. Sky Solar last week said it had received a takeover offer from Square Acquisition at a price of US$0.06 per share. The buyer said at the time, Sky Solar should be delisted from the U.S.-based Nasdaq exchange once the acquisition was complete.

Module manufacturer JA Solar announced on Monday it has started manufacturing activity at its factory in Yiwu, central Zhejiang province. The fab produces panels based on 182mm cells and is set to reach a total cell and module capacity of 10 GW by 2023, in two phases. The 5 GW first phase is intended for completion next year.