China’s LONGi Group commenced the construction of its new 15GW mono-Si ingot and wafer plant in the Yinchuan Economic and Technological Development Zone on 18 May with a grand groundbreaking ceremony.

The key attendees of the event are as follow: Zhong Baoshen (chairman of the LONGi Group), Li Wenxue (president of LONGi Solar Technology Ltd.), Jiang Zhigang (deputy secretary of the party committee of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region), Yang Dong (vice chairman of the autonomous region), Li Hongru (deputy mayor of Yinchuan), Zhao Gang (deputy mayor), Wang Yong (deputy mayor and secretary of the municipal party committee), and Gao Yanjie (director of the Yinchuan Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee).

Other important members of the regional and municipal party committees were also at the ceremony to witness the official launch of the construction project and offer their congratulation.

In his speech at the ceremony, Chairman Zhong said that Ningxia has long been a major base of operation for LONGi since the group began investing in the area in 2006. He further pointed out that the new 15GW mono-Si ingot and wafer plant, once it is up and running, will be the fourth subsidiary that the group has set up in the local development zone. By that time, Yinchuan will become LONGi’s first domestic production base that has the capacity to fulfill the needs of all sections of the PV industry chain. The establishment of this plant will also turn the city into the world’s largest manufacturing center for products across the entire mono-Si supply chain.

Zhong noted that the 15GW mono-Si ingot and wafer plant has the shortest preparation period among the group’s capital investment projects. The interval between the signing of the deal to build the plant and the groundbreaking ceremony was only a month. Zhong stated that the speed at which this project is moving forward reflected the dedication of the city government and the management committee of the development zone. They have created a pro-business environment that attracts and nurtures investments. Zhong in his remarks also thanked the city, the development zone, and the entire the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region for their support over the many years.

The groundbreaking ceremony also included a session hosted by the development zone committee for the signing of the second suite of major deals and agreements for 2019. Li Wenxue, the president of LONGi Solar, sealed a strategic cooperation agreement with Beijing Energy Holding Co. Ltd. on behalf of the LONGi Group. Together, LONGi and Beijing Energy will be collaborating on a range of ventures. Some of the items covered under the cooperative framework include (1) the development, construction, and maintenance of PV power plants in China; (2) the design of PV systems capable of offering low levelized costs of generation; and (3) the worldwide sales of high-efficiency PV components.

Shortly after the groundbreaking ceremony, officials and business leaders went on a tour of the project site. Representatives of LONGi and Beijing Energy also held a follow-up meeting to exchange ideas and discuss details on how to proceed with their cooperation.

Source: This is an English translation of a Chinese article that is based on information provided by the LONGi Group.