The technology used for the module assembly facility was not disclosed, but it was noted that it will be a “high-efficiency n-type technology.”
With this partnership, the companies aim to leverage local markets and resources as the region continues to attract solar manufacturers. Gstar’s expansion in the Middle East is the latest by a solar manufacturer in the region.
Production center in the Middle East
Last month, Saudi Arabia signed two contracts to bring 30 GW of domestic production to the country. The first was signed with Lumetech, a subsidiary of Chinese solar manufacturer TCL Zhonghuan Renewable Energy. This contract will enable domestic production of ingots and wafers with an annual nominal capacity of 20 GW. The second contract was signed with Chinese solar manufacturer JinkoSolar to build a 10 GW TOPCon solar cell and module assembly plant.
In addition, GCL Tech announced in June that it would explore potential cooperation opportunities with Mubadala Investment Company, a UAE sovereign wealth fund, to build a comprehensive silicon ecosystem of global and regional significance in the United Arab Emirates.
Production expansion at Gstar
Gstar’s MOU in the Middle East is the latest global expansion of its solar manufacturing operations. Earlier this month, the company made progress at its solar cell factory in Thailand and began construction of a frame factory in Laos.
In Thailand, the company has started production of its Phase One n-type solar cell plant with an annual nominal capacity of 3 GW. Gstar aims to achieve an annual nominal capacity of 8 GW at this plant.
The first n-type solar cells produced at the factory have a size of 183.75 mm and an efficiency of 25.2%.
The plant is located in the Rubber Industrial Park in Rayong, Thailand, covers a total area of 120,000 square meters and was built with a total investment of 300 million US dollars.
In addition, the company broke ground on a 7 GW photovoltaic aluminum frame and mounting system manufacturing facility valued at RMB 500 million (US$ 70 million) in Laos.
The company, located in the Vientiane Saysettha development zone, began work on Phase 1 earlier this month.
Once the plant is operational, it will have a nominal capacity of 30,000 tons, which Gstar says can meet the demand for 7 GW of photovoltaic modules. The goal of the second phase is to increase the annual nominal capacity to 12 GW.
Over the past 12 months, Laos has attracted several companies to build up their solar manufacturing capacity as the United States takes a closer look at several of its Southeast Asian neighbors.
In March this year, Cambodian solar manufacturer Imperial Star Solar opened a silicon wafer manufacturing factory in Laos with a nominal capacity of 4 GW per year, while Chinese PV cell and module manufacturer SolarSpace started production at a 5 GW factory. SolarSpace’s manufacturing facility is located in the same development zone as Gstar’s aluminum frame and mounting system manufacturing facility.
Earlier this year, the company began construction of a 3GW silicon rod and wafer cutting facility in Indonesia. Production of 182mm and 210mm solar wafers is scheduled to begin in late 2024.
