Solar wafer-to-module processing service provider, Solargiga Energy Holdings, has reported preliminary unaudited first quarter 2014 sales and shipments that are significantly higher than the same period a year ago.
Although the shutdown of its Sichuan Phase I polysilicon production line impacted profitability in 2013, tier one PV manufacturer, ReneSola reported a 142.5% year-on-year increase in PV module shipments, reaching 1,728.8MW with plans to reach 2.5GW in 2014.
As part of the expected IPO of SunEdison’s semiconductor wafer and polysilicon operations into SunEdison Semiconductor Limited (SSL), Samsung Fine Chemicals is planning to purchase US$100 million in shares in the spin-off company in private placement.
Wacker Chemie has agreed a minimum pricing deal with China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) that will allow the chemical producer to continue exporting polysilicon made at its plants in Europe to China.
The delay to the US solar trade case could further increase PV prices, which are already on the up due to high demand, according to consultancy firm EnergyTrend.
GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) has secured a major US$336 million polysilicon equipment and technology deal with Cosmos Chemicals Berhad as part of plans to build a 25,000MT integrated polysilicon plant in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Two Taiwan-based solar cell manufacturers, Neo Solar Power (NSP) and Topcell Solar International (TSI) have concluded new short-term wafer supply contracts from GCL-Poly totalling approximately 4GW.
Although its major sapphire materials business win with iconic consumer electronics firm, Apple continues to generate headlines, GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) has suggested new order wins for new products for the polysilicon and PV segment in the second-half of the year could be even greater.
Meyer Burger and CSEM PV Center are establishing the Swiss-Inno HJT Project that will include a pilot line and development program to produce low-cost Heterojunction silicon solar cell technology (HJT).
In a continued effort to return its Energy and Environmental Solutions (EES) division to breakeven, despite two-years of downsizing and restructuring, Applied Materials said it had reduced EES spending per quarter to US$25 million.
