Chinese PV Industry Brief: UtmoLight starts perosvkite module production

UtmoLight says it has launched the world’s first gigawatt-scale perovskite solar module production line at a facility in Wuxi, China. The plant will annually produce 1.8 million panels, with a target of achieving 20% efficiency in mass production by 2025.

UtmoLight has started production at the world’s first gigawatt-scale perovskite solar module facility in Wuxi, near Shanghai. The plant will mass-produce ultra-large perovskite modules and building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products, with an expected annual output of 1.8 million modules. In pilot production in November 2024, UtmoLight achieved a record 450 W power output with 16.1% efficiency on a 2.8m² perovskite module. The company is aiming for 20% efficiency in mass production by 2025.

TCL Zhonghuan said it plans to acquire full ownership of SunPower Philippines Manufacturing Ltd. (SPML) for $58.6 million through its subsidiary, LUMETECH Pte. Ltd. SPML, which is currently a subsidiary of Maxeon Solar Technologies, designs, manufactures, and sells solar modules under the Maxeon and SunPower brands for residential and utility-scale markets. From January to August 2024, SPML generated $139.68 million in revenue and a net profit of $23.57 million. TCL Zhonghuan, which already holds a controlling stake in Maxeon, will transition SPML to a wholly owned subsidiary upon completion of the deal.

DMEGC has started the phased commissioning of the second stage of its 12 GW high-efficiency solar cell project in Yibin, Sichuan province, adding 6 GW of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cell capacity. This expansion is part of a broader 20 GW solar cell initiative, with the first two phases totaling 12 GW. The combined investment for these phases is approximately CNY 3.55 billion ($487.1 million), including CNY 3.07 billion in fixed assets and CNY 482 million in working capital. The first 6 GW phase was completed in October 2023.

Longi has secured an exclusive contract to supply 500 MW of back contact (BC) modules for the first phase of Inner Mongolia Energy Group’s Dalate Desertification Control and Solar Integration Project. The installation, which will be China’s largest centralized BC solar plant, will be built with Longi’s Hi-MO 9 modules. The second-generation BC solar panels offer a maximum power output of 660 W with a conversion efficiency of 24.43%. Longi said it also plans to scale its BC production capacity to 70 GW by the end of 2025.