Helena Li, president of Trina Photo voltaic’s world cell and module enterprise, spoke to pv journal on the latest SNEC commerce present in Shanghai concerning the PV trade’s oversupply problem. Li stated the corporate is contemplating opening a manufacturing facility in Europe and expressed optimism about future value and worth reductions.
pv journal: Trina Photo voltaic is a latecomer within the n-type TOPCon photo voltaic module enterprise, not less than when it comes to product launches. Nevertheless, it’s a forerunner in technological growth, because it has constructed the world’s first PV mission primarily based on such panels. Is that this technique paying off?
Helena Li: We’re probably not late, possibly JinkoSolar is late. We do not have the urgency to speculate straight away, as a result of the yield of the know-how and the steadiness and the associated fee, are nonetheless not aggressive till possibly the final quarter of final 12 months. Longi additionally started saying the transfer in direction of n-TOPCon reluctantly this 12 months. It is because everyone seems to be ready for the maturity of the manufacturing tools. So we will see now that the tools is okay, after which the wafer will be not less than 10 µm thinner, which can be an enormous cost-savings for n-type TOPCon to compete with p-type PERC.
How a lot TOPCon capability will Trina Photo voltaic have by the top of 2023?
We count on to succeed in a TOPCon cell capability of over 40 GW this 12 months. Work on Part II of our 15 GW monocrystalline silicon ingot mission for n-type merchandise at its manufacturing facility in Xining, Qinghai province, has begun. Work has additionally began on its 10 GW n-type high-efficiency cell and 10 GW n-type module mission in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, which can be put into manufacturing within the first half of 2024.
Is Trina Photo voltaic contemplating different applied sciences, equivalent to heterojunction, interdigitated again contact (IBC), or lastly perovskite-silicon tandem?
Sure, we’re contemplating new developments, though possibly the n-type TOPCon will take longer than individuals assume, as a result of the HJT itself will not be the very best resolution from what we see. We now have discovered extra fascinating perovskite silicon tandem applied sciences and we’re at present aiming to succeed in module efficiencies above 28% in our R&D division. Mass manufacturing, nevertheless, might take time.
Do you count on oversupply and consolidation to return, given the present growth plans of most producers?
Oversupply is a pure problem in our trade. Whoever is stronger will get stronger and stronger yearly. And with right this moment’s technological and provide chain complexity, and on this geopolitical local weather, consolidation is inevitable. We’ll see a discount in prices and costs as a result of that’s the place we wish to go. We now have now seen many new gamers, some not from photo voltaic, soar in. So I believe it is also difficult and fascinating to see that you just all the time need to reside, regardless of who comes. So I do not assume it is a difficulty.
Is Trina Photo voltaic planning to begin manufacturing overseas?
We’re actively working with our clients and companions in Europe to construct a manufacturing facility there, however we’ll proceed if a mission turns into aggressive. After all, it will be significant that we all know whether or not we’ll obtain help from the EU or native governments. Then again, many European clients have informed us they need monitoring. Once we inform them they need to pay slightly extra for these premium merchandise, they are saying they’re going to give it some thought and the remainder goes away. As I stated, lots will rely on the competitiveness of a European manufacturing facility.
Is it doable to spend money on EU or US photo voltaic manufacturing with out incentives?
No, not with out incentives.
Which markets will drive photo voltaic development in 2023?
China is once more the largest market. I simply heard that S&P predicts that photo voltaic demand might exceed 136 GW in China this 12 months. This development must be partly pushed by new public tenders for utility scale PV, however we additionally count on sturdy development within the distributed technology section.
Which new markets could possibly be higher for Trina Photo voltaic this 12 months?
The event of renewable vitality is accelerated by the worldwide vitality transition. The worldwide PV trade can be filled with challenges and alternatives in 2023. Trying to the longer term, Trina Photo voltaic predicts that world new put in capability might attain 1,344 GW by 2035, which is about 5 occasions larger than in 2022. Trina Photo voltaic worth to clients in every market section. We now have scenario-based options for p-type and n-type merchandise for residential, C&I, and enormous energy vegetation. Trina Photo voltaic is positioned as a number one good vitality whole options supplier, which incorporates good options for tracker, vitality storage and multi-energy programs. That helps each market.
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