The first phase of GCL System Integration Technology’s (GCL-SI) 60GW module factory in Hefei, in China’s Anhui Province, is on track to start production this September.
The ‘Solar Module Super League’ member last year revealed plans for the megacomplex, which will be focused on producing 210mm modules and is also capable of manufacturing 182mm modules to meet market demand.
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Consisting of a total spend of US$2.5 billion, the factory is being built over four phases between 2020 and 2023, with GCL-SI recently announcing a US$122 million investment into Hefei GCL Integrated New Energy Technology Co to accelerate construction.
The megacomplex will include wafer, cell, module and all component manufacturing such as junction box, backsheets, glass, EVA and aluminium frames.
GCL-SI is also said to be making “steady progress” with a 2.5GW ‘shingled’ (cell) module assembly plant, which was originally planned to be built in Funing, Hebei Province, but is now being incorporated into the Hefei hub.
Elsewhere, the company is also building a 10GW solar cell manufacturing base in Leshan, Sichuan Province, with the first, 5GW phase expected to be completed by the end of 2021. The production facility will mainly manufacture cells such as PERC, TOPCon and heterojunction, with the base also featuring a research and development centre for heterojunction and perovskite-based laminate cells.
While there has been a recent surge in logistics costs and raw material prices, GCL-SI CEO Thomas Zhang said demand for the company’s products is still growing in Europe and the US.