Cell Processing

PV Tech’s Review of the Year continues with a look back at some of the headlines from the second quarter of 2020

A small automation and composites manufacturer, Fujian Haiyuan Composite Material Technology Co (ST Haiyuan) has entered into a framework agreement with Jiangsu Gaoyou Economic Development Zone in Gaoyou City, Jiangsu province China to build a 10GW high-efficiency solar cell and module assembly plant at cost of around US$1.6 billion.

Perovskite solar cell developer Oxford Photovoltaics (PV) has smashed its previous industry cell efficiency record for a tandem silicon heterojunction/perovskite solar cell, which has been certified by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at 29.52%.

China-based PV module manufacturer and PV project developer and operator, CECEP Solar Energy Co has started an initial phase of construction of an advanced solar cell facility as part of a new strategy to enter and become a major merchant cell producer with a total capacity of 50GW.

PV Tech’s Review of the Year kicks off today with some of the biggest news stories from the first quarter of 2020

‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JA Solar has added a further 6GW of future PV module assembly capacity expansions to its significant roster already announced in 2020.

China-based PV backsheet and high-efficiency PV module manufacturer Jolywood (Suzhou) Sunwatt Co (Jolywood) believes its latest iteration of an n-type TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) can achieve 24.5% conversion efficiencies in volume production, the highest in China for such a cell architecture.

Meyer Burger Technology has agreed a settlement with Swiss headquartered PV manufacturer, EcoSolifer over a 2015 on heterojunction (HJ) solar cell line contract that will result in a CHF 1.97 million (US$2.22 million) loss for Mayer Burger.

With module suppliers currently seeking to hit annual shipment volume guidance for 2020, and many announcing ambitious expansion plans for 2021 and beyond, the sector is seeing a shift now in terms of module supply to global utility-scale sites.

Regulators in Europe should throw their support behind re-establishing a solar manufacturing base in the continent that could reach a capacity of 20GW and support more than 100,000 jobs, Meyer Burger and SMA have said.