China

The Chinese solar energy firm announces details of joint venture with the Qujing Municipal Government in China to build a 20 GW monocrystalline ingot facility in Qujing.

The large-scale solar markets of China, the USA, and Europe have experienced vastly different fortunes over the past couple of years. As China has boomed and the U.S. held steady, Europe has seen growth rates plunge. But nothing is constant in PV, and each of these three vital markets faces a series of unique challenges and opportunities, as pv magazine discovered.

The Chinese solar PV developer increased the combined capacity of its solar plant portfolio by 62% to 2 GW last year. Total revenue for last year reached around $241 million.

The Chinese PV manufacturer shipped 3.85 GW of solar PV products last year, including 37.6 MW of wafers, 1,346 MW of solar cells, and 2,475 MW of PV panels. China was still the company’s largest market, accounting for 74.9% of total sales.

With 11 GW, India is set to become the second largest solar PV market in 2018, usurping the U.S., as global demand reaches 113 GW, says IHS Markit. It adds that Q4 will be the biggest quarter in history for installations, with 34 GW expected.

Jinzhou Yangguang Energy (Jinzhou Yangguang), a subsidiary of China’s Solargiga Energy Holdings, has agreed to buy a 17.8% stake in Jinzhou Yangguang Motech Renewable Energy (Jinzhou Motech) from Motech Suzhou Renewable Energy for CNY 9.96 million (US$1.58 million), in a cash transaction.

In the past financial year, the Chinese solar manufacturer and project developer implemented a plan to expand activities in the downstream solar sector, while downsizing its wafer manufacturing. In the future, Comtec will focus on its 156mm x 156mm “Super Mono” wafer business, and will ship no more than 500 MW per year.

Longi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd has announced plans to build a 228 MW solar PV project in China. The Chinese vertically integrated solar PV manufacturer has also signed a 39,600 metric ton (MT) high purity polysilicon agreement with Daqo New Energy Corp.

The Chinese technology firm, which has become a leading player in China’s electric vehicle industry, has warned that subsidy cuts for new-energy vehicles could further drag down its profits. Solar and stationary battery business performing well, however.

Chinese module manufacturer, JA Solar has issued a statement refuting assertions made by SolarWorld in hearings conducted last year, which were reported last week in the findings of United States Trade Representative (USTR) report into Chinese practices related to intellectual property.