According to EnergyTrend, Aiko Solar and Gokin Solar held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony on April 17, where the two parties formally signed a strategic cooperation agreement based on BC technology.
Notably, one day prior to the signing (April 16), Aiko Solar released two important announcements. The first disclosed the capacity upgrading and renovation of photovoltaic battery production at its Yiwu Base and Chuzhou Base; the second covered the signing of equipment procurement contracts, fully advancing the layout of N-type ABC high-efficiency batteries.
At present, Gokin Solar has achieved mass production and global delivery of BC modules. Combining Aiko Solar’s technological accumulation, mature mass production capabilities and complete patent system in the BC battery sector, the two parties will realize complementary industrial advantages, promote in-depth collaboration featuring technology leadership and large-scale capacity, and accelerate the large-scale development of BC technology.
In accordance with the agreement, both sides will strengthen collaboration across the silicon wafer-battery-module industrial chain, and build an efficient and interconnected industrial coordination mechanism.
Specifically, they will further conduct joint research on the BC technology route, focus on collaborative optimization of cost reduction and efficiency improvement processes including low-silver and silver-free technologies, and continuously upgrade product performance and optimize cost structure. Against the backdrop of high silver prices, BC technology is more adaptable to silver-free and silver-reduced processes compared with other technology routes, making it a key direction for industrial chain cost reduction.
In addition, the two parties will integrate global market and customer resources, focus on high-value application scenarios, and jointly expand the application market for high-efficiency BC modules.
Compiled by EnergyTrend, the current mass production landscape of BC technology remains highly concentrated. Only three enterprises — Longi, Aiko Solar and Gokin Solar — have realized GW-level stable mass production and commercial delivery. Most other PV manufacturers are still in the pilot test, small-batch trial production or technology planning stage.
Among them, Longi deploys the full-chain HPBC technology; Aiko Solar specializes in professional manufacturing of ABC batteries; Gokin Solar focuses on BC module packaging and silicon wafer supply. BC technology features relatively high barriers to mass production. Affected by multiple factors, large-scale industrial promotion is still in the ramp-up phase. At present, most enterprises in the industry still take TOPCon technology as their primary capacity route.
Source：EnergyTrend