Nov 22, NEA publicize 13 PV Top-Runner bases optimization results of the year 2017, which include 10 application top-runner bases and 3 technology top-runner bases. Among, Datong, Shouyang, Weinan, Cangzhou, Baicheng, Sihong, Golmud, Ordos Dalad Banner, Delingha and Baoying become candidates of application top-runner bases; Shangrao, Changzhi and Tongchuan become candidates of technology top-runner bases.
Before, NEA released ‘Inform on Promote PV Power Generation ‘Top-Runner’ Plan Implementation and 2017 Top-Runner Base Construction Related Requirement’. ‘Inform’ requires each top-runner base controls scale at 8GW, among, application top-runner base and technology top-runner base scale should no more than 6.5GW and 1.5GW, respectively.
Since NEV comes up with PV power generation ‘Top-Runner Program’, NEA has organized and launched construction of 2 phases, a total of 9 top-runner bases with a total of 6.5GW in scale, include Shanxi Datong 1GW first top-runner base in 2015, and 8 top-runner bases with a total of 5.5GW in scale in 2016. Among, Datong Top-runner Base has construction in Jun 2016 and combined to the grid, and finished check and acceptance; 8 bases of Phase-2 have completed investment subjects selection and under construction and implementation currently.
In Phase-3 top runner program this time, technology top-runner base was first proposed. Planning scale of each phase of technology top-runner is 1.5GW. According to publicity result, Shangrao, Changye and Changzhi 3 bases correspond 1 technology top-runner base, respectively and each base planned scale is 500MW with a total of 6 projects.
It is reported that, what technology top-runner base used are independent, market has not yet applied frontier technology or breakthrough technology products, products that has not yet constructed production lines or capacity, those advanced technology products which have already had production lines or capacity cannot apply or be selected in technology top-runner base. So, which technologies can meet the standard of technology top-runners?
On technology indexes, ‘Inform’ requires that in 2017, application top-runner bases used multi-Si cell module and mono-Si cell module’s photoelectric conversion efficiency should reach more than 17% and 17.8%, respectively; technology top-runner bases used multi-Si cell module and mono-Si cell module’s photoelectric conversion efficiency should reach more than 18% and 18.9%, respectively. Corresponding cell efficiency and module power requirement are as table below.
Top-Runner frontier technology application bases’ enterprises evaluation criteria projects and partition are: investment ability (10 pts), performance level (10 pts), technology and industry advancement (55 pts) and technical proposal (25 pts). Technology and industry advancement can be further divided into: advanced technology index (35 pts), core technology patents and capacity construction (10 pts) and technology management ability advancement (10 pts). So, it can be seen that, advanced technology index is main competition condition that influenced frontier technology application base.
View from current advanced PV manufacturing technologies in industry, high efficiency cells which use N type silicon wafer as base, for example like N-PERT cell, HJT cell and IBC cell etc. no doubt are strong competitor of frontier technology application base. In terms of N-PERT cell, Yingli, Jolywood and Linyang etc. are actively distributing and have mass production. Jolywood revealed that, it is expected to increase its N-PERC cell mass production average efficiency to 22% by the end of this year, and plans to mass produce N-TOPCon cell which efficiency reaches 23% in 2018; in terms of HTC cell, Jinneng, CIIC, Hanergy, GS-Solar and ENN etc. are now new built or reconstruction and construct HJT cell production line. It is reported that, Jinneng has construction 100MW HJT cell module production line and cell mass production average efficiency has reached 22.3%; in terms of IBC cell, Trina Solar IBC cell pilot scale demonstration production line cell average efficiency has reached 23-23.5%; Jolywood distributed 10GW IBC cell capacity in Quzhou, Zhejiang, and cell efficiency has exceeded 23%.
ASIACHEM believes that, release of this 1.5GW top-runner index scale will accelerate N type high efficiency cell technology’s industrialization process, bring and lead PV power generation’s technical progress and market application. With continuous enlarging of high efficiency cell technology scale and continuous cost reducing and efficiency increasing, to realize power side grid parity in 2020 will be just around the corner.
