Tongwei opens the world’s first intelligent manufacturing ‘4.0’ solar cell production line

October 26, 2017
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Tongwei chose to officially launch the new facility in tandem with a massive ceremony celebrating the company’s 35 years of business operations. Image: Tongwei

China-based integrated and merchant PV manufacturer Tongwei Group recently opened its completed high-efficiency solar cell plant (S2), which includes the world’s first technically unmanned monocrystalline solar cell production line under the intelligent manufacturing term, 4.0. 

The S2 plant in Chengdu, China has an initial nameplate capacity of 2GW, which brings Tongwei’s monocrystalline cell capacity to around 3.4GW. The company also has around 2GW of multicrystalline solar cell capacity. The 4.0 cell line is completely unmanned to test intelligent fully automated manufacturing tools and software systems.

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

Tongwei chose to officially launch the new facility in tandem with a massive ceremony celebrating the company’s 35 years of business operations. 

The company has also recently completed a 5,000MT polysilicon plant expansion, bringing nameplate production capacity to 20,000MT. However, the company is also undertaking the construction of a new 50,000MT polysilicon plant. 

Recently, GCL-SI (GCL System Integrated Technology) established a module assembly workshop that was completely unmanned to test intelligent fully automated manufacturing tools and software systems under its own manufacturing 4.0 initiative.

Tongwei Group recently opened its completed high-efficiency solar cell plant (S2), which includes the world’s first technically unmanned monocrystalline solar cell production line under the intelligent manufacturing term, 4.0. Image: Tongwei
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

November 4, 2025
Radovan Kopecek and Christian Peter look ahead to an event in Yiwu, China, later this month, where the wider commercialisation of high-efficiency back contact PV technology will be under the spotlight.
November 4, 2025
GCL Intelligent Energy, a subsidiary of Chinese polysilicon producer GCL Technology, has signed shareholder agreements for two clean energy projects in Indonesia with a combined capacity of 200MW.
November 3, 2025
Runergy has reported that its latest n-type TOPCon solar cell has achieved a conversion efficiency of 26.55%.
November 3, 2025
Dr KT Tan, CTO at Viridian Solar, chronicles how the expansion of solar raises questions about supply chain transparency and ethical sourcing.
October 30, 2025
Global net zero by 2050 is now “impossible” and the world is on course for temperature rises of 2.6°C, according to energy market analyst Wood Mackenzie.
October 28, 2025
Chinese solar inverter producer GoodWe has launched a new “low noise, low weight” string inverter for the European corporate & industrial solar market.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
November 12, 2025
10am PST / 1pm EST
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany