Industrial gases firms Linde and Praxair have announced plans to merge that would create a US$29 billion global business dominating many regional industrial sectors around the world. The major merger is not expected to be completed in the second half of 2018, subject to anti-trust agencies in Germany and the US.
Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd (Aiko Solar), merchant solar cell producer has launched a high-efficiency P-type mono-PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) bifacial solar cell with front-side cell efficiency >21% and rear-side >15%. The company showcased the bifacial cell at SNEC 2017.
The vast number of announcements related to P-type mono PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) production in the last 18 months have primarily related to integrated cell and module producers shifting in-house production to the high-efficiency cells, as conventional multicrystalline Al-BSF (Aluminium-Back Surface Field) solar cells reach efficiency limitations.
China-based integrated PV module manufacturer Shanghai Aerospace Automobile Electromechanical Co (HT-SAAE) has established a 300MW solar cell and 600MW module assembly plant in Turkey to meet local demand as well as supply Europe and the US.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Hanwha Q CELLS said its key strategic focus was to diversify its regional and market segment sales in 2017, while reiterating full-year PV module shipment guidance to be in the range of 5.5GW to 5.7GW in 2017.
InnoLas Solutions has launched its new high throughput laser workstation for various applications with throughput up to 6000 wafers per hour (WPH). The ILS-TTnx (InnoLas turntable next generation platform) is based on InnoLas’ existing and proven rotary table machine platform with a multi process head configuration and a dual lane automation system.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JA Solar may have met first quarter 2017 guidance on key financial metrics and guided a strong second quarter, due to an increase in demand from China but management commentary turned cautious for the second-half of the year on limited customer demand visibility.
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has elected to launch an investigation into Suniva’s trade complaint under Section 201 of the 1974 Trade Act. The body will decide whether to raise import prices on modules as per the bankrupt module manufacturer’s request.
