Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Solar manufacturer Zhonghuan Semiconductor has further decreased the prices of most of its PV wafers, while Beijing-based project developer Jingneng Clean Energy Co., Ltd (JNCEC) announced on Wednesday that its board has approved an investment plan for the construction of a 1GW renewable energy project in Inner Mongolia.

Furthermore, speaking about its joint venture with Trina Solar for the development of 15GW of ingot manufacturing and 15GW of wafer cutting projects, Tongwei said all work will be finished and put into production in H1 2022. PV prices are also seeing declines along the solar supply chain.

In what has been described as a European first, Northvolt announces that the first lithium-ion battery has rolled off the production line at its Swedish manufacturing facility in Skellefteå.

The title of Martin Schachinger’s October market commentary was “Module prices set to rocket back to 2019 levels.” This month, he writes that prices have already reached December 2018 levels and notes that there is no reversal in sight. Prices for all module technologies have once again risen by an average of 3 percentage points since last month.

The Chinese PV manufacturer has unveiled ambitious plans to build a vertically integrated factory in China’s Inner Mongolia region, which will be powered by a mix of solar and wind coupled with on-site energy storage.

There is increasing pressure, globally, for companies to be held more accountable, particularly when it comes to sustainability and just working conditions, and this topic is only growing in importance. With this in mind, pv magazine’s UP Initiative spent Q2 2021 looking at what solar and energy storage companies could do to lead by positive example when it comes to the workers, often far removed, involved in the production of their products and services.

A diversified and talented workforce, proximity to customers, and strong partnerships on the ground prompted Meyer Burger to establish a PV production site in Goodyear, Arizona, the US.

Dec. 23 saw the inauguration of a new solar cell factory in the city of Khomeini, according to the Iranian government’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization. The factory, operated by Tehran headquartered company Mana Energy Pak, will be among the first in the region to produce silicon solar cells.

Structural imbalances in the supply chain and the energy intensity and consumption controls that China imposed in late September have caused prices for most PV module materials and components to continue to rise. Shipping fees and PV plant construction costs also remain high. PV plants in many regions will therefore be postponed until next year, but it remains unclear when module prices will start to fall. Despite these challenges, the global race to cut carbon emissions continues, and InfoLink’s Corrine Lin forecasts a bright future for PV deployments in 2022.

The lithium-ion battery producer began manufacturing activities at its new factory in Ningde city, Fujian Province. Aiko Solar has also secured 4,515,000,000 wafers for the next three years through three different supply deals.