Chinese PV Industry Brief: Tongwei and Longi hold wafer and cell prices

On Thursday, PV manufacturers Longi and Tongwei released solar wafer and cell prices which remained almost unchanged from the previous announcement. Longi said the price of p-type 182x247mm ‘M10’ wafers is RMB3.9 (US$0.57) per piece, 166x223mm M6 wafers are RMB3.25 per piece and 158.75x223mm M2 wafers are RMB3.1 per piece, as in August. Tongwei set the price of 158.75mm and 166mm monocrystalline PERC cells at RMB0.97/W. The price of 157mm multi-crystalline cells, with diamond wire cutting, rose two fen to RMB0.62/W.

On Wednesday, panel maker Risen began construction of a 15 GW cell and module factory in Yiwu, in central Zhejiang province, eastern China. The first phase of the project will see 5 GW of production capacity by June, with a 10 GW second phase within five years.

Polysilicon manufacturer Xinte Energy announced on Tuesday it will need more coal to fire its operations after the price of the fuel rose 11% this year and associated transport costs went up 7%. With Xinte also releasing new polysilicon production capacity, the company will raise the maximum amount it can pay controlling shareholder TBEA for coal this year from RMB300 million (US$43.9 million) to RMB400 million.

The main, Chinese business of solar manufacturer Yingli has applied to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands to liquidate U.S.-listed parent Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd as insolvent and the court is expected to apply the petition at the end of the month, according to a filing made to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday.

The Jiangsu GCL unit of solar manufacturer GCL-Poly Energy Holdings raised RMB250 million yesterday by selling RMB296 million worth of polysilicon and wafer making equipment to leasing company Sino IC Leasing for the former figure. Jiangsu GCL will lease back the equipment for a total of RMB282 million over three years, plus a RMB12.5 million consultant services fee.