Solar wafer manufacturer Shangji Automation has signed a supply deal worth RMB5.91 billion (US$856 million) and has launched a large-scale fundraising project to accelerate its capacity expansion.
JA Solar intends to fund the construction of a major PV manufacturing facility by issuing convertible bonds to raise up to RMB8.96 billion (US$1.3 billion).
During 2022, capex for solar PV manufacturing fabs reached a record high - at more than US$27 billion - with spending dominated by Chinese companies building out new fabs in China and across Southeast Asia.
Solar tracker manufacturer PV Hardware has planned to build a new solar structure and tracker facility occupying 65,000m2 in an industrial park in Valencia, Spain.
US solar tracker manufacturer FTC has formed a domestic joint venture with Thailand-headquartered steel fabricator Taihua New Energy to produce steel components for solar projects.
Solar equipment manufacturer Linton Crystal Technologies has made an initial investment of US$10 million to build a solar manufacturing equipment facility in the US.
The recent swathe of announcements from US policymakers – coupled with growing geopolitical unrest regarding Chinese manufacturing dominance and the role of solar PV from an energy security standpoint – has the potential to redefine PV technology, manufacturing and component supply chains in a way that the industry has never seen before, writes Finlay Colville, head of research at PV Tech.
