Solar wafer production to see over-capacity by year-end 2018

Jan. 09, 2018 – 

Global solar wafer production capacity is expected to increase to 165GWp by year-end 2018, exceeding that of 145GWp for solar cells, according to industry sources.

Short supply of solar mono-Si wafers since first-half 2017 has prompted LONGi Green Energy Technology and Zhonghuan Semiconductor - the two largest China-based makers - as well as others in the country's supply chain to expand production capacities, a large portion which will come online in 2018, the sources said. Global production capacity for solar mono-Si wafers will rise from 40GWp currently to 65GWp by the end of 2018.

Most of the major China-based solar poly-Si wafer makers have adopted the diamond wire cut (DWC) process since mid-201, and global poly-Si wafer production capacity will rise from 90GWp at present to 10GWp by the end of 2018, the sources said.