Leading up to the PV ModuleTech 2017 conference, less than 3 months away (Kuala Lumpur, 7-8 November 2017), this blog series explains why this dedicated two-day industry event has the potential to provide some key answers for EPCs, developers and asset owners, in terms of understanding the key metrics that underpin solar modules going forward, ultimately mitigating risks during site design and build-out, while optimizing overall return-on-investment for more than 20 years in the field.
READ PART ONE HERE
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member GCL System Integrated Technology (GCL-SI) has officially started production at its joint venture (JV) solar cell plant with Vina Solar in Vietnam as well as an unmanned module assembly pilot project in China.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member GCL System Integrated Technology (GCL-SI) is supplying German-based PV systems supplier IBC Solar with 60MW of solar modules from a newly inaugurated module assembly plant in Vietnam.
Vietnam-based infrastructure investment firm Bamboo Capital (BCG) has signed a cooperation agreement with China-based firm Unisun Energy Group and German company Coara Solar to work on a 40MW solar project in Thanh Hoa district, Long An Province, Vietnam.
Vietnam-based infrastructure investment firm BCG Băng Dương and Korea’s Hanwha Group have partnered to develop and build a 100MW solar PV project in Thanh Hoa district, Long An, Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City-based conglomerate TTC Group plans to spend up to US$1 billion on 10 to 20 solar parks with a combined capacity of around 1GW, according to Bloomberg.
A consortium of international chambers of commerce has advised the Vietnamese government that its draft solar PPA template is “non-bankable” and cannot attract financing for PV in Vietnam, particularly for medium and utility-scale projects, according to documents seen by PV Tech.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam (MOIT) has released a draft circular containing guidelines on how to develop solar PV in the country, but has failed to address a range of issues that could impact large-scale project bankability, according to analysis from multinational law firm Baker McKenzie.
Vietnam has confirmed a long-awaited feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme for utility-scale solar projects along with a net metering scheme for rooftop PV systems.
Silicon Module Super League (SMSL) member JA Solar is continuing to expand manufacturing capacity in 2017 after guiding total shipments to be in the range of 6GW to 6.5GW, up from 5.2GW in 2016.
PV Tech’s preliminary analysis of global PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in January, 2017 have remained subdued and continue the trend set in the second-half of 2016.
While third-party outsourcing of solar PV module assembly has been a constant feature of the PV industry for many years, the landscape of suppliers and the country of manufacturing has changed radically in the past two years, and will continue to do so out to the end of 2018.
While there is no shortage of leading indicators in the PV industry that can be used to predict future trends in manufacturing and across the various companies involved in this space, one of the most pertinent ones relates to capital expenditure (or capex).
