Helena Li, president of Trina Photo voltaic’s international cell and module enterprise, spoke to pv journal on the latest SNEC commerce present in Shanghai in regards to the PV business’s oversupply problem. Li mentioned the corporate is contemplating opening a manufacturing unit in Europe and expressed optimism about future price and worth reductions.
pv journal: Trina Photo voltaic is a latecomer within the n-type TOPCon photo voltaic module enterprise, a minimum of when it comes to product launches. Nonetheless, it’s a forerunner in technological growth, because it has constructed the world’s first PV undertaking based mostly on such panels. Is that this technique paying off?
Helena Li: We’re not likely late, possibly JinkoSolar is late. We do not have the urgency to speculate immediately, as a result of the yield of the expertise and the soundness and the 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’s because everyone seems to be ready for the maturity of the manufacturing gear. So we will see now that the gear is okay, after which the wafer might be a minimum of 10 µm thinner, which might be a giant cost-savings for n-type TOPCon to compete with p-type PERC.
How a lot TOPCon capability will Trina Photo voltaic have by the tip of 2023?
We anticipate 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 undertaking for n-type merchandise at its manufacturing unit 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 undertaking in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, which might be put into manufacturing within the first half of 2024.
Is Trina Photo voltaic contemplating different applied sciences, similar 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 folks assume, as a result of the HJT itself is probably not the very best resolution from what we see. We’ve got 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 anticipate oversupply and consolidation to return, given the present growth plans of most producers?
Oversupply is a pure problem in our business. Whoever is stronger will get stronger and stronger yearly. And with at the 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’ve got now seen many new gamers, some not from photo voltaic, bounce in. So I believe it is also difficult and fascinating to see that you simply all the time should stay, regardless of who comes. So I do not assume it is a difficulty.
Is Trina Photo voltaic planning to start out manufacturing overseas?
We’re actively working with our clients and companions in Europe to construct a manufacturing unit there, however we’ll proceed if a undertaking turns into aggressive. After all, it is vital that we all know whether or not we’ll obtain assist from the EU or native governments. Then again, many European clients have instructed us they need monitoring. Once we inform them they should 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 mentioned, quite a bit will depend upon the competitiveness of a European manufacturing unit.
Is it attainable to put money into 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 most important market. I simply heard that S&P predicts that photo voltaic demand may exceed 136 GW in China this 12 months. This development needs to be partly pushed by new public tenders for utility scale PV, however we additionally anticipate sturdy development within the distributed era phase.
Which new markets might be higher for Trina Photo voltaic this 12 months?
The event of renewable power is accelerated by the worldwide power transition. The worldwide PV business might be filled with challenges and alternatives in 2023. Trying to the long run, Trina Photo voltaic predicts that international new put in capability may attain 1,344 GW by 2035, which is about 5 instances increased than in 2022. Trina Photo voltaic worth to clients in every market phase. We’ve got 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 sensible power whole options supplier, which incorporates sensible options for tracker, power storage and multi-energy methods. That helps each market.
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