LONGi calls for industry alignment on wafer size as Hi-MO4 sales top 2GW

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The Hi-MO4 launch at Intersolar Europe 2019.

The solar industry must work together to agree on standardised larger wafer sizes, according to monocrystalline solar manufacturer LONGi Group.

The company has revealed that its H-MO4 module, which utilises M6 (166mm) wafers, has now sold 2GW. PV Tech understands European availability is expected in Q4 2019.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The firm is now backing that wafer size with a series of upgrades across its own facilities.

“By end 2020, LONGi will upgrade its existing cell and module lines and transform them for production with the 166mm wafer,” said Wang Yingge, executive assistant to the chairman of LONGi Solar. “New lines such as the 5GW monocrystalline cell line in Yinchuan will be designed for the 166mm size from the start,” said Yingge adding that large-scale production of Hi-MO4 will commence the third quarter of 2019.

Larger wafers create more efficient modules but also mean more weight and greater physical stresses. Production equipment must also be amended. According to LONGi, the divergence in larger wafer sizes began in 2018 and is leading to a number of mismatches along the supply chain.

“The 166mm wafer has reached the allowable limit of production equipment which is difficult to overcome. This would be the upper limit of the standard for a considerable period,” said Professor Shen Wenzhong, Director, Solar Energy Research Institute of Shanghai Jiaotong University.

“If manufacturers cannot reach an agreement on a size standard, it will restrict the development of the whole industry,” said Li Zhenguo, president of the LONGi Group. 

Shen Wenzhong added: “Existing crystal drawing and slicing equipment are compatible with 166mm size silicon wafer. Production equipment for cell and module needs to be modified, though the costs are lower and easier to achieve. Calculated by “flux”, cell and module production lines using 166mm wafers will increase capacity by 13% as compared with the 156mm size.”

At present, M6 wafer have a price premium of RMB0.4 (US$0.057) compared to the M2 wafer but as scale increases beyond 2019, Yingge said this premium is set to halve.

Read Next

Premium
October 6, 2025
Talon PV aims to be the first US company to safely manufacture TOPCon cells at scale, backed by European technology and a crucial First Solar licensing deal.
October 3, 2025
The US solar manufacturing industry is feeling bullish, despite the policy whiplash inflicted over the summer and the increased pressure on US solar supply chains.
October 2, 2025
PV products using perovskite technology could assume a dominant position within the next ten years, according to module producer Qcells' CTO.
Premium
October 2, 2025
PV Talk: Qcells’ CTO Danielle Merfeld discusses the imminent opening of America’s first integrated c-Si ingot-to-module factory and her belief in solar’s long-term strengths.
September 29, 2025
Indian solar manufacturer Waaree has said it does not expect to pay additional duties on its solar cell imports to the US, following the start of an antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) investigation by the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
September 29, 2025
Fortescue has established a strategic partnership with Chinese solar manufacturing giant LONGi to supply solar PV modules as part of its ‘Real Zero’ emissions by 2030 strategy.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK