Chinese PV Industry Brief: New glass capacity and a 20 GW wafer order

China's second-largest PV glass supplier, Flat Glass, announced on Tuesday that two new glass furnaces were switched on during China’s New Year holiday. The new furnaces will add 2,200 metric tons of daily glass production capacity to the company's current output One of the two furnaces is located in the Chinese province of Anhui, with a daily capacity of 1,200 MT. The other lies in its Vietnamese factory and has a daily capacity of 1,000 MT. All the new capacity is compatible with the latest big-size module products. Flat Glass said its total capacity has grown to 8,600 MT per day and this figure is estimated to grow to 9,800 MT per day at an unspecified later stage.

Panel manufacturer Jinkosolar has secured 20 GW of orders for its 182mm-wafer-based modules. The solar manufacturer revealed the landmark deal yesterday in a press release published on the website of the Africa Solar Industry Association. The PV giant said “industry expectation” was for 100 GW of 182mm-based module production capacity this year, with demand supporting such volume. Jinko, along with peers JA Solar and Longi, in November predicted the trio would amass 54 GW of 182mm production lines this year.

Zhejiang's provincial departments of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA) revealed in a draft proposal that the province may host around 13 GW of new solar between 2021 and 2025. As one of the richest provinces of China and with rapid development of renewable energy, Zhejiang had 15.2 GW of installed solar PV at the end of 2020. If the planned target is achieved, total installed PV will reach 28 GW by the end of 2025.