LONGi to Capitalize $875 Million for Production Capacity Growth by 2020

LONGi Green Energy Technology has announced that it is planning to capitalize about $875.7 million in escalating its Czochralski-based monocrystalline silicon (mono-Si) ingot and wafer capacity by 15GW, while increasing mono-Si solar cell capacity by a preliminary 3GW in 2020.

LONGi believed it had signed a strategic agreement with the Yinchuan Economic and Technological Development Zone for the new 15GW ingot and wafer production facility, which is projected to cost about US$643 million. The facility is anticipated to progressively start ramping production in the second half of 2020.

The company had recently announced plans to invest approximately US$773 million in expanding mono-Si ingot capacity at two production sites in China, which included 6GW in Baoshan and 6GW in Lijiang. LONGi also announced at the same time a 10GW expansion of mono-Si wafer production as part of a Phase 2 expansion at facilities in Chuxiong.

These previously announced expansions would take mono-Si ingot cumulative nameplate capacity to 38GW in 2019. LONGi had previously announced plans to take ingot capacity to 45GW by the end of 2020. The new 15GW plans would take mono-Si ingot and wafer nameplate capacity to 53GW after 2020.

LONGi also announced that its subsidiary, SMSL member LONGi Solar would establish a mono-Si solar cell plant in Yinchuan. Initial capacity would be 3GW at a cost of around US$233 million. The facility would have a nameplate capacity of 5GW. The initial production ramp would be in the first half of 2020. Combined with the latest expansions planned in China, LONGi Solar’s mono-Si cell nameplate capacity would reach 10GW by the end of 2020.