US-headquartered high-efficiency PV module producer SunPower Corp has completed the acquisition of SolarWorld Americas from German insolvency court and administrators, securing the future of the solar cell and module assembly operations of the Hillsboro, Oregon plant.
US government development finance institution Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has committed US$25 million in financing to a fund managed by off-grid solar firm SunFunder, which will provide loans to companies developing off-grid solar products and solutions for Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Hanwha Q CELLS has appointed a new chairman and CEO with former experience at the company as parent, Hanwha Group begins consolidating solar sector subsidiaries.
China-based polysilicon and multicrystalline wafer producer Daqo New Energy has said it would discontinue its solar wafer manufacturing operations in September, 2018.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) members JinkoSolar and Hanwha Q CELLS have both updated plans to start solar module assembly manufacturing in the US, post the US Section 201 trade case.
Specialist PV manufacturing equipment supplier Amtech Systems is restructuring its solar cell manufacturing equipment business with job losses after China-based customers have pushed-out capacity expansion plans after government cuts were made to downstream solar installation targets as deployments far exceeded goals.
Polysilicon producer REC Silicon expects its FBR (Fluidized bed reactor) polysilicon production to decline 42% in the third quarter of 2018, after recently announcing further cuts in workforce and production at its Moses Lake facility that would operate at only 25% utilisation rates. The company noted that it was evaluating the possible suspension of all of its solar related materials business in the US.
Major PV metallization paste producer Heraeus Photovoltaics has announced that its President, Andreas Liebheit has already stepped down from his position, due to personal reasons.
Leading CdTe thin-film PV module manufacturer First Solar held a ground breaking ceremony on 8 June 2018 for the construction of its new 1.2GW manufacturing plant near its existing flagship facility in Perrysburg, Ohio.
