China-based solar equipment manufacturing company Trina Solar has announced plans to develop a further 15 GW of annual module production capacity at its Changzhou city headquarters within three years. The company has reportedly signed an agreement with the local authorities of the Changzhou High-tech Zone to develop the RMB3 billion ($440 million) project.
The latest expansion bid is the fifth such announcement Trina Solar has made since the beginning of 2020, and the biggest, with the manufacturer having announced 25 GW of new module capacity and 15 GW of cell production lines since January 1, all in its native Jiangsu province.
In January 2020, the company revealed plans for 5 GW of new cell production capacity at a factory in Suqian city and then, two months later, announced a new, 4 GW module fab in Yancheng city. On June 2, Trina stated that a further 6 GW of panel capacity was planned at Suqian and in August 2020, the company said the Yancheng site would host 10 GW of production capacity for 210mm-wafer based cells.
The manufacturer reported it had 18.4 GW of annual panel production capacity as of June 2020. Adding this year’s expansion plans on top – plus the 8 GW module fab for Yiwu city, in Zhejiang province which was announced in July last year – and Trina is planning to have more than 50 GW of module production equipment and around 26 GW of cell lines next year.
The statement announcing the latest, 15 GW expansion bid to the Shanghai Stock Exchange read: “The signing of this agreement is helpful to enhance the company’s core scientific research capabilities and further expanding the field of technological innovation. Meanwhile, it also helps to accelerate the overall renewal of the company’s production capacity and product technology upgrades. It is in line with the company’s long-term development strategy and the interests of all shareholders.”
REGlobal’s Views: The manufacturer’s plans to announce capacity expansion roadmap implies its confidence in the increasing demand for solar modules globally. Solar power sector is poised to witness an exponential growth in future and manufacturers like Trina Solar are preparing well in advance to meet the potential demand.