Major Chinese PV product manufacturer Tongwei announced a round of price hikes for its PV cells on September 5. The company’s notice was first picked by other Chinese news outlets. On the whole, the price of the 210mm cell rose by RMB 0.02, whereas the prices of the 182mm and 166mm cells elevated by RMB 0.01. Hence, the quotes for its 166mm, 182mm, and 210mm mono-Si PERC cells have now arrived at RMB 1.29 per watt, RMB 1.31 per watt, and RMB 1.30 per watt respectively.

According to the related reporting by Chinese news outlets, the electricity rationing measure that is being implemented across several regions of China eased a bit near the end of August. Meanwhile, demand has remained strong for PV modules. Furthermore, the major Chinese PV wafer suppliers including LONGi and Zhonghuan have introduced price hikes. Hence, the increase in cost is being passed down from the midstream. On account of these developments, Tongwei has been the first among cell suppliers to raise price. Whether this could lead to speculations across the supply chain remains to be seen.

Regarding the PV cell market in the recent period, Chinese renewable energy news websites and market intelligence firms such as SOLARZOOM said that supply is still tight for cells. With the easing of the electricity rationing measure, cell production lines in regions such as Sichuan are returning to normal production. However, demand continues to outpace supply for large-size mono-Si cells. At the same time, Chinese PV module suppliers are ramping up production to meet rising demand. Therefore, the corresponding demand momentum in the cell market will keep accelerating rather than slowing down.

Based on the reporting from SOLARZOOM and other market intelligence firms, the prices of the mainstream products from the major PV cell suppliers have now risen to around RMB 1.31 per watt in China. This follows a round of price hikes for M10 cells between the end of August and the start of September. As for M6 and G12 mono-Si cells, recent transactions reveal that their prices have climbed to around RMB 1.30 per watt.

As for the prices of the mainstream N-type cells, their highest price has now reached around RMB 1.45 per watt, thus showing a difference of around RMB 0.13 with the highest price of the mainstream P-type cells. Chinese news outlets and market intelligence firms have noted that domestic PV product suppliers are manufacturing N-type cells mostly for in-house use.

Chinese cell suppliers have stated that quotes for mono-Si cells will be influenced by prices of wafers and polysilicon materials. Tongwei’s latest price hike is therefore expected to bring about a general elevation in cell prices in China.