Leading photovoltaics company Trina Solar has started producing 210 mm monocrystalline wafers at its factory in the Vietnamese northern city of Thai Nguyen. The wafers, according to the report, would be used in Vertex modules to serve the US market.
The company’s facility in Thai Nguyen is capable of producing 6.5 GW of wafer production, 4 GW of cells, and 5 GW of modules.
Previously, Trina Solar commenced its production of n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cells at a facility in China, AND the move was supposed to accelerate the formation of an integrated n-type industrial layout. However, the company was found to be circumventing the anti-dumping/countervailing duty (AD/CVD) tariffs by the US Department of Commerce.
The opening of the wafer production plant in Vietnam is a significant move for Trina Solar, which enables the company to make its shipments to the US. Wafers are the cut-off point for the AD/CVD tariffs imposed by the US Department of Commerce. Accordingly, cells and modules imported to the US from Southeast Asia must prove that they are not made using a Chinese wafer or cell.
Particularly, solar cells must either be manufactured using non-Chinese wafers or be transported to a third country outside of Southeast Asia for module assembly before being imported to the US.
Currently, the tariffs have been held off under the US President’s two-year waiver, due to expire in July 2024. It is expected that most manufacturers should be able to adjust their supply operations before the tariffs kick in.
(Source: PV Tech)
