The worlds largest solar panel maker has quietly set out plans to double its capacity.
You probably have not heard of JinkoSolar Holding Co? JinkoSolar is the world’s largest solar panel maker. The Chinese company has over 13,500 employees across its 6 productions facilities globally as well as 15 oversea subsidiaries in Japan, Korea, Singapore, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Australia and United Arab Emirates. In 2018 they output a staggering 11.4 GW of solar modules.
The growth of capacity and improvements in technology is going to be critical as cities grow in future.
This week the solar giant started the first phase of a huge 11 billion yuan (£1.23 billion) factory in Yiwu city in China’s eastern Zhejiang province. The new facility is set to eventually double its manufacturing capacity.
A local Yiwu official announced on WeChat that once complete the entire plant will produce 16 gigawatts of solar panels per year. That is almost the total panel capacity that JinkoSolar had at the end of last year across all its existing facilities.
The first phase will add an initial 4.8 gigawatts of capacity and be completed this summer. With the next phase expected to be complete in early 2020.
JinkoSolar increase in capacity mirrors efforts by other Chinese companies, including Tongwei Co and LONGi Green Energy Technology Co to increase production capacity.
