Taiwan-based PV conductive paste maker Giga Solar Materials on October 25 began construction of a ground-mounted PV power-generating station with an annual capacity of 17MWp in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, with completion scheduled for the end of 2014, according to company chairman Chen Chi-jen.
Giga Solar will invest JPY5 billion (US$51 million) to construct the power station through its Japan-based subsidiary, with Japan-based Tsuboi to undertake EPC (engineering, procurement, construction), Chen indicated. The site of the power station was originally a golf course which has been left idle since the large earthquake hit Fukushima in March 2011.
The station will generate an estimated 20 million kWh a year for use by about 5,000 local households, with the power to be on the local power grid at an official feed-in tariff of JPY42/kWh for 20 years, Chen pointed out.
Construction of the power station will use Taiwan-made PV modules, with shipments scheduled for the second quarter of 2014, Chen said. With 70% coming from bank loans, the investment is estimated to take 7-8 years to recoup, Chen indicated.
PV systems installed around the world in 2013 will attain a total capacity of 35-37GWp, of which 10GWp will be in Europe, 8GWp in Japan, 6-8GWp in China and 4-5GWp in the US, Chen pointed out. The global total installation capacity in 2014 is likely to reach 40-45GWp, Chen noted.
Giga Solar expects to ship four tons of front-side silver PV paste in October, about five times shipments in January 2013, and about 30 tons in 2013.
