International renewable energy provider GCL New Energy, a subsidiary clean energy conglomerate GCL Group has recently received the first tranche of tariff back payments in China totalling RMB 990 million (US$142.5 million).
Major polysilicon producer Wacker Chemie has reported a significant decline in the fortunes of its polysilicon business segment in the third quarter of 2018.
Polysilicon producer REC Silicon has been forced to sell solar grade (FBR) polysilicon below cash cost, due to weak demand and ASP declines, driven by demand curtailment in China and continued polysilicon capacity expansions.
PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in the second quarter of 2018, were slightly higher than the previous quarter, although activity slumped specifically in June, after China’s decision to suddenly cap utility-scale and distributed generation (DG) projects (531 New Deal). But large-scale multi-gigawatt production plans in the first half of the year may have hidden an inevitable slowdown, despite the impact on downstream demand from the 531 New Deal.
The Chinese government’s decision (531 New Deal) to curtail utility-scale and distributed generation (DG) PV deployments just after the SNEC trade show at the end of May, not only surprised the industry but has since fuelled a significant ASP decline of modules and inverters.
In part II of PV Tech’s interview with Vikas Bansal, Head of Business Development - International Solar at Sterling & Wilson Solar, one of the world's largest PV EPC firms, we discuss how installers are having to adapt to new technologies in the realm of PV modules, balance of system, robotics and energy storage.
Leading PV manufacturing equipment supplier Meyer Burger has announced a new restructuring program, which is intended to bring its breakeven level to around CHF 250 million per annum.
The long-standing CEO of major PV inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technology, Pierre-Pascal Urbon has suddenly stepped down from his executive role and plans to leave the company altogether at the end of December, 2018.
China-based polysilicon producer Daqo New Energy Corp said that its polysilicon production costs were targeted to reach US$6.80 per kilogram in 2020, once the capacity expansion to 70,000MT per annum had been completed.
