Major PV energy provider (PVEP), SunPower Corp, has revealed it is prepping plans for its next-generation ‘Fab 5’ manufacturing facility that would be on a larger scale than existing facilities.
PV energy provider (PVEP), Canadian Solar is considering increasing production capacity to 3GW in 2014. The SEC filing also revealed that the company had increased module assembly capacity at its plant in Ontario, Canada from 330MW at the end of 2013 to 530MW of as of January 31, 2014.
SunEdison has said the polysilicon ingot production operations for its semiconductor customers would be consolidated with the full closure of its facilities in Merano, Italy, and the transfer of 200mm diameter ingot production from St. Peters, Missouri to other overseas facilities.
The PV cell and module manufacturing operations of Dutch firm Pufin Power are to increase their production capacity after securing a supply deal with French distributor Thomson Energy.
Robert Bosch subsidiary, PV module manufacturer aleo solar is to be acquired by Taiwan-based solar cell producer, Sunrise Global Solar Energy and Japanese manufacturing machinery producer, CHOSHU Industry.
SunEdison and the Government of Saudi Arabia are undertaking a feasibility study to establish a fully integrated PV manufacturing complex, including polysilicon production through to PV module assembly at an estimated cost of US$6.4 billion.
Equipment suppliers serving the PV manufacturing sector are expected to see a new cycle of capital expenditure begin early next year that could reach US$10 billion by 2017, according to NPD Solarbuzz.
Daqo New Energy has completed the de-bottlenecking project at its polysilicon plant in Xinjiang, China, which has started ramping to its expected nameplate capacity of 6,150MT.
Tokyo Electron (TEL) has announced plans to discontinue its ‘micromorph’ turnkey thin-film production line operations, which it acquired after buying Oerlikon Solar in 2012.
