Solar-grade crystalline silicon wafer maker Gigastorage will begin to set up a PV module factory in Thailand to mainly meet local demand in the second quarter of 2015, according to company chairman Jimmy Chen.
The factory's annual production capacity will be 75-100MWp initially and 300-400MWp eventually, Chen said. The Thailand government plans to begin feed-in tariff subsidies for PV systems in 2015, Chen noted. The total installation capacity of subsidized PV systems to be set up in Thailand in 2015 is estimated at 400MWp and Gigastorage expects to obtain EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) contracts to set up a total capacity of 100MWp, Chen indicated.
Gigastorage has provided PV system EPC services in Taiwan and Japan. In the Japan market, Gigastorage has so far landed EPC contracts for PV systems with a cumulative installation capacity of 19MWp, and will set up a total capacity of 10-12MWp in 2015.
Gigastorage has an annual production capacity of 700MWp solar-grade crystalline silicon wafers and utilizes 80% of it currently. Gigastorage will not expand capacity due to risk considerations, but is likely to obtain additional capacity through strategic partnerships with fellow makers in 2015.
