The first phase of this project with 14GW ingot, wafer, cell, and module respectively, scheduled to be operational in Q1 2024, will make more advanced and efficient TOPCon products than currently available in the market. It is estimated 20% of global N-type products will be made there when the plants climb up to their full capacity of 56GW in 2025, and it could be the most advanced currently in production.
The expanded investment is a big move for JinkoSolar after N-type TOPCon was opted for by almost all key manufacturers and became mainstream. The recently finished SNEC in Shanghai convinced the company that it is in a better position to lead the industry transition towards N-type in the years ahead.
“Efficiency and power performance improvement and cost optimization roadmap play a massive role in the boom of TOPCon, which gives us confidence in that technology, “said Dany Qian, VP of JinkoSolar at SNEC.
With more and more proven projects of TOPCon, and with HJT likely isolated for years to come, many companies are accelerating shifting from PERC to N-type TOPCon to tap the benefits of it. Although some manufacturers have sparked concerns of over competition as a number of companies who ramped up TOPCon fast seek to catch up JinkoSolar, its dominant position on TOPCon is become more secure due to this 56GW vertical integration of a new plant In Shanxi. According to JinkoSolar, the current mass-produced TOPCon cell efficiency is 25.4% and it aims to reach 25.8% in Q4. JinkoSolar’s N-type TOPCon production is predicted to account for up to 40% of the global total in 2023.
The 56 billion investment marks a significant milestone that JinkoSolar is reconstructing its dispersed vertical integrated chain by building the most advanced N-type manufacturing in one location. “This 56GW N-type vertical integrated new plant is a masterstroke and a game-changing development for the industry”, said one industry analyst at SNEC.
Another important reason JinkoSolar pick Shanxi as the site of its new 56 GW scale plant is accessibility to green electricity. As a RE100 member, JinkoSolar finds it challenging to pick a site to satisfy this mass-scale production with a reliable green electricity supply. Shanxi local utility is committed to giving full support to attract JinkoSolar to bring its investment in Shanxi. This will have an appealing inward-drawing effect for N-type equipment and raw material suppliers to consider Shanxi for their green production needs. If everything goes well, the world’s first renewable-powered solar supply chain would be born in Shanxi.
