Chinese PV Industry Brief: SPIC begins work on 10 GW heterojunction cell, module factory

The new manufacturing facility will require an investment of CNY 8 billion ($1.1 billion) and will be located in Suining, Sichuan province.

State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) broke ground on a 10 GW high-efficiency heterojunction (HJT) solar cell and module manufacturing project in Suining, Sichuan province. The project, with an investment of CNY 8 billion ($1.1 billion), will be constructed in two phases. The first phase, covering 480 acres with an investment of CNY 5 billion, will include a 5 GW HJT solar cell and module production line, with initial operations expected to begin by October 2025. The factory will be owned and operated by SPIC's unit SPIC New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., which developed proprietary copper-grid heterojunction (C-HJT) technology, replacing costly silver with copper for cell busbars. This innovation has helped reduce manufacturing costs while improving efficiency, with its latest research achieving a conversion efficiency of 26.49%, addressing key commercialization challenges for HJT technology.

Italy-based solar manufacturer FuturaSun announced the completion of the first phase of its new production facility in Huai’an, Jiangsu province. The project, with a total investment of CNY 5 billion, is being developed in two phases. Once fully operational, the plant will have an annual capacity of 10 GW for n-type solar cells and 2 GW for modules. With the completion of the first phase, the facility has commenced operations with an initial cell capacity of 5 GW.

Tianyong New Materials announced it would discontinue further investment in its planned photovoltaic film production project, originally designed to produce 150 million square meters annually. The company will instead reallocate the remaining CNY 34.54 million in raised funds, including accrued interest, as working capital to support business operations. As of the announcement date, the project had reached 63.15% completion, with all invested funds used for purchasing and installing production equipment. The company noted that the acquired equipment is adaptable for other solar-related projects, preventing financial losses from the cancellation.

China Three Gorges Group (CTG) released the list of shortlisted candidates for the second phase of its 2024 photovoltaic inverter procurement framework. The selected companies include Sungrow, Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric, Shanghai Chint Power, TBEA, and Zhejiang Rifu Electric. The tender covers 300 kW and larger string inverters and associated equipment for CTG’s solar projects, with an estimated total procurement volume of 3 GW. As a framework agreement, contracts with successful bidders will remain valid until June 30, 2025, with supply deals negotiated for specific projects as needed.