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TERRENUS ENERGY

China

Chinese PV Industry Brief: Longi, Shenzhen Energy partner on inverters

Image: Longi Solar

Longi has revealed plans to enter the inverter business through a partnership with Shenzhen Energy, while Solarspace has announced plans to open a 16 GW cell factory in Anhui province.

From pv magazine

Longi and Shenzhen Energy have set up a joint venture to open an inverter factory in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province. The two companies will invest CNY 5.3 billion ($791 million) in the new facility, which will have a capacity of 10 GW and could also potentially host 10 GW of solar module production.

Solarspace has signed a deal with the government of Chuzhou, Anhui province, for a 16 GW solar cell manufacturing facility. The factory will be built in two 8 GW phases and produce cells based on 182 mm and 210 mm wafers. The total investment is CNY 10.5 billion. Solarspace has currently a cell production capacity of 19 GW and 4.5 GW of module production.

Energy China, one of the largest state-owned energy enterprises in China, has submitted a project proposal for a huge PV and concentrated solar power (CSP) complex in Xuzhou, in China’s Xinjiang region. The plant will consist of a 1.35 GW solar array, a 150 MW CSP unit, and an unspecified amount of storage capacity.

Xinte Energy said it expects a net profit of CNY 5.5 billion to CNY 6 billion for the first half of this year. Last week, the manufacturer said that its solar and wind project development margins had increased, along with polysilicon prices.

Authors: Vincent Shaw & Max Hall

Waterproof all-aluminum solar carport from China

The system can be grid-connected, linked to storage, or used for the recharging of electric vehicles. Image: Enerack

Developed by Chinese manufacturer Enerack, the carport can host all types and sizes of solar panels and relies on waterproof technology for rain protection.

From pv magazine

Chinese PV mounting system provider Enerack is offering a solar carport solution for shopping centers, gas stations, public parking lots, and private homes. “The main market for our solar carport is Europe, but we also sold the system in the Middle East, South Africa, Panama, Guatemala and Chile,” the company’s designer and business developer, Ivan Yordanov, told pv magazine.

According to the company, the carport can host all types and sizes of solar panels. “We started developing the system a few years ago when the average size of the solar modules was 1,755 mm x 1,038 x 35, mm and power output was 300 W,” said Yordanov. “Nowadays, our carport system can host modules with dimensions of up to 2,280 mm x 1,133 mm x 35mm.”

The panels can be installed on the carport with a tilt angle ranging from 5 to 30 degrees and in either a landscape or portrait configuration.

The carport is made with aluminum alloy of the type AL6005-T5 and relies on a longitudinal sink rail that is able to catch water from the horizontal gap between the solar module. “To keep the water out of the sink as much as possible the solar panels are installed at a distance of 1 mm,” Yordanov stated “The fixed way of the solar panel is designed to be fixed from the bottom of the module itself with a customized clamp, which makes installation easier.”

The system is scalable in a MW-sized configuration. “We use rail connects and rail slices which allows more solar modules to be installed,” Yordanov explained. “Each carport can host a different number of modules, depending on the project’s size and characteristics.”

The system can be grid-connected, linked to storage, or used for the recharging of electric vehicles. “The cost of a basic system hosting two vehicles ranges from $1,300 to $1,350,” Yordanov concluded.

Author: Emiliano Bellini

Longi’s heterojunction solar cell hits 26.5%

Longi’s solar cell achieved a fill factor of 86.08%. Image: Longi

Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin has confirmed that Longi’s new n-type heterojunction solar cell has achieved a power conversion efficiency of 26.5%.

From pv magazine

Chinese PV module maker Longi has achieved a power conversion efficiency of 26.5% for an n-type heterojunction (HJT) solar cell based on indium and an M6 wafer. It said the result has been confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH).

“Through consistent technological innovation, Longi, the world’s leading solar technology company, has achieved continual breakthroughs in PV conversion efficiencies, breaking the world record for HJT cell efficiency twice in one week in October 2021,” it said, without providing additional details. The cell also achieved a fill factor of 86.08%, it noted.

Longi achieved an efficiency of 25.47% for a p-type cell in March and a 25.19% rating for its p-type TOPCon solar cell in July 2021. In June 2021, it recorded a 25.21% efficiency rating for an n-type TOPCon device. It has also reached a 26.3% efficiency for its n-type HJT cell.

Author: Emiliano Bellini

China’s massive hydro energy storage goals may be getting bigger

China has been eyeing a major pumped hydro build-out since at least last year. Image: Pixabay

From Bloomberg

BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) – China’s biggest dam builder says the country is launching an even-larger-than-expected campaign to build hydro energy storage to complement renewable power.

The nation will start construction on more than 200 pumped hydro stations with a combined capacity of 270GW by 2025, Mr Ding Yanzhang, chairman of Power Construction Corp of China, the country’s largest builder of such projects, said in a Monday (June 13) commentary in the Communist Party-run People’s Daily.

That’s more than the capacity of all the power plants in Japan, and would be enough to meet about 23 per cent of China’s peak demand.

It would also be a massive increase from what China proposed just three months ago in its 14th five-year plan for energy development, when officials said the country wanted to have 62GW of pumped hydro in operation and another 60GW under construction by 2025.

PowerChina did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment, and the National Energy Administration (NEA) did not answer calls to its Beijing office.

Hydro storage technology dates back more than a century.

Water is pumped into an uphill reservoir using electricity when demand is low, and then generates power when needed by letting gravity carry the water downhill through turbines.

It can be paired with China’s rapidly growing fleet of solar panels and wind turbines to generate electricity when the sun isn’t shining and breezes aren’t blowing.

China has been eyeing a major pumped hydro build-out since at least last year. In August, a draft NEA document identified the potential for 680GW of pumped hydro in the country, and mooted a possible goal of starting construction of 180 gigawatts by 2025.

The final version of the plan released in September toned down the scale, but still called for 120GW of capacity operating by 2030.

The entire world had 158GW of hydro storage at the end of 2019. China is also ramping up plans to deploy newer forms of energy storage such as batteries, with the country’s largest grid saying it hopes to have 100GW of such capacity available by 2030.

Singapore, China ink MOUs to deepen cooperation in green and digital economies

Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong (left) and China’s Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao at the signing ceremony on June 13, 2022. Image: Ministry of Trade and Industry

From The Straits Times

SINGAPORE – China and Singapore have strengthened bilateral relations after the two countries announced collaborations to promote the green economy and enhance cooperation and exchanges in the digital economy.

On Monday (June 13), Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and China Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao signed two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on the sidelines of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

An MOU on green development will promote bilateral cooperation in the green economy through policy sharing and business cooperation.

It will focus on areas such as renewable energy, green building, green finance, as well as water and waste management.

Both countries will also encourage businesses to carry out joint research and development activities and jointly promote low carbon technological innovations, said the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in a release.

Meanwhile, an MOU on the digital economy will strengthen bilateral cooperation and exchanges in the digital economy.

This will be done through the exploration of joint opportunities for growth in areas such as investment cooperation, digital trade and digitally enabled services, among others.

Singapore’s MTI and China’s Ministry of Commerce will establish working groups to oversee the implementation of both MOUs.

In a post on LinkedIn, Mr Gan spoke of his meeting with Mr Wang, saying that they discussed the deepening of the countries bilateral relations as well as collaboration in international fora such as the WTO.

The digital economy is an important driver of global economic growth, while the green economy is increasingly critical to help countries address challenges arising from global climate change, said Mr Gan, in a separate statement issued by MTI.

He added: “The signing of the two MOUs not only signify Singapore and China’s commitment to broaden and deepen our bilateral cooperation, but also provide new impetus for our countries to explore new areas of cooperation in digital economy and green economy that can address shared policy priorities and business interests.”

Author: Anjali Raguraman, Consumer Correspondent

Chinese PV Industry Brief: 1 GW TOPCon module supply order for JinkoSolar

Image: JinkoSolar

JinkoSolar has scored a 1 GW PV panel order in China and Risen suspended a $758 million private placement of shares.

From pv magazine

Module maker JinkoSolar announced this week it secured a solar module supply agreement from Chinese property development company Datang Group. The order relates to the supply of 1 GW of n-type TOPCon bifacial modules with a power output of up to 560 W for use in large scale projects.

Module manufacturer Risen said on Thursday that its CNY 5 billion ($758 million) private placement of shares has been suspended for a month. The net proceeds from the transaction should be devoted to the construction of a new solar module factory that still needs to get final approval from the China National Development and Reform Committee (NDRC).

China’s Shandong Province announced this week that its fourteenth five-year plan spanning 2021 to 2025 envisages deploying at least 65 GW of PV capacity by the end of 2025, including at least 12 GW of offshore PV for which a specific tender was issued last month. The provincial authorities have already identified 10 offshore sites along Shandong’s coast where the projects could be constructed. Binzhou, Dongying, Weifang, Yantai, Weihai and Qingdao are some of the preferred areas.

Shunfeng International’s proposed sale of four solar projects has collapsed. The heavily-indebted developer announced in January plans to sell 132 MW of solar generation capacity to state-owned entity State Power Investment Group Xinjiang Energy and Chemical Co Ltd to raise CNY 890 million ($134 million). After postponing four times publication of details of the shareholder vote required to approve the sale, Shunfeng this week said the deal had fallen through. The transaction was complicated by the Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court of Jiangsu Province in April, which granted a freezing order on the 95% stake in one of the solar project companies held by a Shunfeng subsidiary. The order was granted at the request of two investors in a 2015 Shunfeng bond who claim money is owed them by the developer. “The board will explore other opportunities to dispose of … some or all of the target companies in order to improve the financial position of the company,” Shunfeng told the Hong Kong Stock Exchange this week.

Author: Vincent Shaw & Max Hall

China pilots low carbon bonds to help companies become greener

A worker wearing a face mask works on a production line manufacturing bicycle steel rim at a factory, as the country is hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China March 2, 2020. Image: China Daily via REUTERS

From Reuters

SHANGHAI : China is rolling out so-called low carbon transition bonds to help companies become greener, the country’s interbank bond market regulator said on Monday, as Beijing strives toward carbon neutrality.

Under the pilot scheme, companies in eight sectors including electric power, steelmaking, petrochemicals and civil aviation will issue bonds to fund decarbonisation efforts, the National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors (NAFMII) said in a statement.

Such debt instruments supplement green bonds, and are part of China’s sustainable financing, said NAFMII, which is supervised by China’s central bank.

China, the world’s biggest producer of climate warming greenhouse gas, has pledged to bring its emissions to a peak before 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2060.

Proceeds from the transition bonds will be used to fund green efforts including cleaner coal production, the application of green technologies and the use of natural gas and clean energy, NAFMII said.

Companies including China Huaneng Group Co, Hualu Holdings and Baosteel have already issued China’s first low carbon transition bonds, the Shanghai Securities News reported on Monday.

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.

From pv magazine

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

China vows new financial tools to support drive to carbon neutrality

A woman walks across a bridge in front of a chimney billowing smoke from a coal-burning power station in central Beijing February 25, 2011. Image: REUTERS/David Gray

From Reuters

SHANGHAI : China’s government said it will expand its range of financial tools and make greater use of fiscal and taxation policies to support the shift towards carbon neutrality.

China aims to create a basic financial policy framework by 2030 to support green and low-carbon development, and will also aim to give more play to market mechanisms like carbon and pollution discharge trading, according to policy recommendations from the Ministry of Finance published late on Monday.

The world’s biggest producer of climate warming greenhouse gas has pledged to bring its emissions to a peak before 2030 and to become fully carbon neutral by around 2060.

It has already vowed to start cutting coal consumption from 2026 and bring wind and nearly double solar power capacity to 1,200 gigawatts by the end of the decade.

The new guidelines are aimed at creating “a fiscal and taxation policy system that promotes the efficient use of resources and green, low-carbon development,” the ministry quoted an unnamed official as saying.

The ministry also aims to build an “incentive and restraint mechanism” to encourage green and low-carbon practices among local governments, the official said.

According to the recommendations, the tax system will be adjusted to include more preferential policies encouraging energy and water conservation as well as carbon emission cuts. Import tariffs should also be adjusted to meet low-carbon development requirements, it said.

As well as focusing on key sectors such as energy storage and the shift to renewables, new financial tools will also be developed to help transform the transportation sector and promote new energy vehicles, and encourage recycling and the comprehensive use of resources.

The ministry also said more financial policy support would be given to the construction of carbon sinks, the protection of forests and grasslands, as well as climate change adaptation.

JinkoSolar showcases 13.08%-efficient transparent TOPCon solar module for BIPV, agrivoltaics

The solar panel measures 1,1759 mm × 1158 mm × 11.5 mm, has a weight of 54 kg. Image: JinkoSolar

The new solar module can be purchased with different levels of transparency, depending on the project, with light transmittance ranging between 30% and 40%. It has a power output of 245 W to 300 W and a temperature coefficient of -0.30% per C.

From pv magazine

Chinese module manufacturer JinkoSolar launched a new transparent solar module for applications in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and agrivoltaics at the recent Smarter E event held in Munich, Germany.

“The Jinko Transparent Curtain Wall Series is based on our n-type TOPCon HOT2 cell technology,” a company spokesperson told pv magazine. “It can be purchased with different levels of transparency, depending on the project. Light transmittance ranges between 30% and 40%.”

The panel has a power output ranging from 245 W to 300 W with the power conversion efficiency spanning from 12.09% to 13.08%. The open-circuit voltage is between 25.6 V and 28.5 V and the short-circuit current is of 12.09 A to 12.93 A.

It measures 1,1759 mm × 1158 mm × 11.5 mm, has a weight of 54 kg and its temperature coefficient is -0.30% per C.

The operating ambient temperature ranges from -40 C to 85 C, said the manufacturer, and the maximum system voltage is 1,500 V. The panel has 6 mm of toughened glass on both sides and its junction box has an IP 67 rating.

Jinko offers a five-year product warranty and a 25-year power output guarantee. The panels are said to be able to operate at 90% of their original performance after 10 years and at 80% in the remaining 15 years.

“The product is also available in different colors and can be adapted to modern architectural concepts,” the spokesperson said. “The dual glass configuration ensures lower crack diffusivity and corrosion resistance.”

Author: Emiliano Bellini