Major Chinese PV product manufacturer JinkoSolar (also styled Jinko Solar) announced that its newly-built cell production line in China’s Anhui Province formally entered operation on this January 4.
Operated by Jinko’s local subsidiary, the production line is capable of outputting 8GW of high-efficiency N-type TOPCon cells per year. Jinko estimates that the production line will employ around 2,000 people and generate an annual revenue of around RMB 8 billion. The setup of the production line represents just the first phase of the capacity building project that is being undertaken by the local subsidiary.
The construction of the production line started in September last year. The construction of the facility building took 52 days. The subsequent equipment move-in took place in November last year and took 40 days. The formal handover of the equipment took place in December, and pilot production took 24 days. The entire production line was deemed fully operational and output its first batch of cells on January 4. The whole development period lasted just 118 days, giving credence to the claim that Jinko with its incredible speed is leading the industry with respect to capacity expansion.
TOPCon is one of the technological paths for high-efficiency N-type cells. As a next-generation cell technology, TOPCon offers a comprehensive range of performance improvements: higher efficiency, higher output, higher energy density, and higher reliability. Another notable advantage of TOPCon is that it is compatible with existing production lines. Only a few additional equipment systems are needed to upgrade.
With the new cell production line in Anhui entering operation, Jinko will be able to further scale up its overall production capacity and strengthening its leading position in the PV market. The success that Jinko has just achieved in the mass production of TOPCon cells is a significant turning point in the company’s transition from the conventional PERC cells to the more advanced N-type cells. Regarding demand, Jinko also announced on January 5 that it has secured a tender from China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation to provide 1.85GW of high-efficiency modules. It is thus highly probable that the products for the tender will be N-type. The announcement on the tender also mentioned that Jinko intends to raise its production capacity to 16GW by the end of 2022.