PV Tech’s preliminary analysis of global PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in October 2016, reflect the continued reaction to the rapid decent into overcapacity at the beginning of the second half of the year.
Leading CdTe thin-film producer First Solar has reacted to plummeting global PV module and PV power plant PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) prices by undertaking a major review of its production capacity requirements and planned migrations to its Series 5 and Series 6 modules.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member, JA Solar has agreed to settle a long-term ‘take or pay’ contract for the purchase of polysilicon from US-based polysilicon producer Hemlock Semiconductor.
State-owned PV manufacturer HT-SAAE is pursuing the government’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ industrial strategy as it looks to diversify the geographic spread of its end customers.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member GCL System Integrated Technology (GCL-SI) has reported a 30.5% decline in third quarter 2016 revenue, primarily due to a major slowdown in downstream PV project construction in China since the end of June and average selling price decline as overcapacity took hold in the quarter.
As we finalize the agenda for PVCellTech 2017 – to be held in Penang, Malaysia, on 14-15 March 2017 – one of the key goals is to understand how solar cell advances in mass production are driving module availability to the market.
Leading integrated monocrystalline PV manufacturer Xi'an LONGi Silicon Materials has reported a 54.8% decline in third quarter 2016 revenue as the impact of a major demand slump in China after June’s feed-in tariff changes seriously curtailed PV power plant construction in China.
Integrated PV module manufacturer SolarWorld has reported preliminary third quarter 2016 financial results that reflect the impact of overcapacity and global solar panel price declines after recently discarding both its revenue and profit guidance for the year.
Major polysilicon producer Wacker Chemie has reported that polysilicon sales declined 6.8% in the third quarter of 2016, due to weaker demand and ASP declines, specifically in September.
Specialist PV manufacturing equipment supplier RENA Technologies has secured a significant tool order from China-based LERRI Solar said to be in the double-digit million euro range to meet more than 2GW of monocrystalline PERC solar cell production.
