China made 14 GW of solar modules in June – and more than 80 GW in six months

The nation produced 57% more solar cells in the first half of this year than in the same period a year earlier.

August 18, 2021 Max Hall

Image: flickr

Chinese state-controlled manufacturer Luoyang Glass said the nation produced 42,000 tons of polysilicon and 14 GW of solar modules in June alone.

The glassmaker reported the numbers as it announced its first-half figures, and said China had made 238,000 tons of polysilicon in the first half of the year, as well as 105 GW of silicon wafers, 92.4 GW of solar cells and 80.2 GW of solar modules.

Luoyang said those figures were “recently released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology” and amounted to a 57% year-on-year rise in cell output, a 51% hike in module production, a 40% uplift in wafer manufacturing and 16% growth in polysilicon output.

The bumper effect of solar panel glass prices which continued to rise into the first quarter of this year was illustrated by a first-half net profit of RMB222 million ($34.2 million) from Luoyang’s new energy glass unit, a rise from RMB68.8 million in January-to-June last year. The 2021 six-month figure came from new energy operating income of RMB1.4 billion ($216 million), up from RMB822 million ($127 million) a year ago.

By contrast, Luoyang’s other main business, providing glass for information displays, posted a first-half net profit of RMB25.6 million ($3.95 million), from operating income of RMB195 million ($30 million).

The manufacturer said two new solar module glass production facilities in Hefei and Tongcheng remain on track to start operations next month and in November, respectively, and added plans are progressing for another new fab in Yixing.

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.