Chinese PV Industry Brief: LDK to invest in 600 MW HJT solar cell factory as price of polysilicon soars

A production line run by LDK. Image: LDK

A Chinese metals industry group said the price of polysilicon is rising, just as Comtec Solar revealed that it is gearing up to sell off its shuttered wafer factories in Shanghai. Flat Glass, meanwhile, has announced plans to expand solar glass production capacity.

The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association says the price of polysilicon has risen to CNY 226 ($39.90) per kg and may continue to rise due to strong demand. Last week, prices of M10 and G12 wafers remained stable at CNY 6.79 and CNY 9.12, respectively. But given the current polysilicon supply glut, they could also increase. In addition, earthquakes in Sichuan province on Wednesday affected three ingot casting factories, with a total capacity of 36.2 GW. In turn, lower production rates could have a negative impact on wafer production and wafer prices.

LDK, a unit of Haiyuan Material, plans to invest CNY 355 million in a 600 MW factory for of n-type heterojunction (HJT) solar cells. It said it chose HJT rather than TOPCon because it doesn’t have any PERC capacity that could be directly upgraded to TOPCon. The factory will be built in Xinyu, Jiangxi province.

Flat Glass has announced plans to raise up to CNY 6 billion via a private share issuance on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The company wants to use CNY 4.2 billion of the proceeds for two solar panel glass production projects, together valued at CNY 8.1 billion.

Comtec Solar says it wants to sell off its shuttered wafer factories in Shanghai for CNY 180 million. Shanghai Pudong Zili Color Printing Factory, a pharmaceuticals packaging producer, has reportedly agreed to buy seven factories from the developer.

Authors: Vincent Shaw & Max Hall