The NEA says that by the end of June, China had put a total of 470 GW of PV. In the first half of this year, 78.42 GW of new PV systems were added to the country, and 17.2 GW of those were put in place in June alone. In the first two months of 2023, there were 20.37 GW of new solar power installations. In March, there were 13.29 GW, in April there were 14.65 GW, and in May there were 12.9 GW.
The China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) says that production of polysilicon rose by 65% year over year to more than 600,000 tonnes in the first half, while production of silicon wafers rose by 63% to 250 GW. In the first half of 2023, the number of solar cells made went up by 62%, to over 220 GW, and the number of PV modules made went up by 60%, to about 200 GW. China also sent out more than $29 billion worth of PV goods, which is about 13% more than the year before. China’s biggest export market for modules was Europe, and its biggest export market for silicon plates and solar cells was Asia.
Canadian Solar says that its subsidiary CSI Solar, which it owns with a majority stake, has signed a deal with the government of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, to spend CNY 11.5 billion ($1.6 billion) in a plant that makes solar panels from top to bottom. The factory will make 40 GW of ingots, 10 GW of wafers, 10 GW of cells, and 5 GW of modules. The first production line for ingots is scheduled to open in March 2024, and the rest of the lines will open in the second half of 2024.
The prices of polysilicon went up this week for the first time since February, according to the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA). Prices for N-type monocrystalline polysilicon are now between CNY 70,000 and CNY 82,000 per metric tonne. This is an increase of 2.01%. Prices for p-type monocrystalline polysilicon are now between CNY 65,000/MW and CNY 76,000/MW. This is an increase of 2.67 percent.
