Chinese PV Industry Brief: Rising wafer prices and a big tracker order

Monocrystalline module producer Longi today announced the prices of all its PV wafers will be increased. The price for 166mm, ‘M6′ wafers has gone up RMB0.25 (US$0.039) to RMB5.34 per piece (US$0.82) and 158.75mm G1 products will also cost RMB0.25 more, at RMB5.24 per piece. Longi’s 182mm M10 wafers will go up RMB0.30 in price, to RMB6.41 per piece. The second price rise since June means M6 wafers will be 64% more costly than in January. The price of the polysilicon used to manufacture wafers resumed an upward trajectory last month after stabilizing in June and July.

Solar panel rack and tracker supplier AntaiSolar has landed a 400 MW order from Ningxia Jiayang Energy Co Ltd. AntaiSolar said its products will be used at two solar plants in the provinces of Ningxia and Gansu. The tracker maker had previously announced a 200 MW order from Ningxia Jiayang. The financial terms of the latest supply deal were not revealed.

Solar developer GCL New Energy yesterday announced the sale of another 198 MW of project capacity, some of which may be in breach of government regulations on the use of forest land. Agreement was reached to sell two project companies which own six solar parks with a combined generation capacity of 198 MW, to state-controlled renewables business Ningxia Hanguang New Energy Co Ltd. The sale will book a net loss of RMB132 million (US$20.5 million) on the projects but will generate an estimated RMB901 million (US$140 million) for GCL, after the RMB2.67 million (US$414,000) cost of rectifying unspecified “engineering and compliance defects” is taken out. The sale will reduce GCL New Energy’s liabilities by RMB816 million (US$126 million). As part of the transaction, the seller may have to compensate the buyer “if any of the solar plants … is partially demolished due to non-compliance of the relevant government notice in relation to the occupation and use of forest land,” GCL New Energy said in an update to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. A similar clause was inserted into the sale of 271 MW of project capacity between the two parties last month. The proposed sale will not be voted on by all GCL New Energy shareholders unless it fails to win the consent of 49% investor Elite Time Global and 9% backer Dongsheng Photovoltaic.