Samsung SDI to operate PV paste plant in China

Samsung SDI will begin  operating its  photovoltaic (PV)  paste production line in its Wuxi Plant located in Jiangsu Province, China in June. At the Wuxi Plant, installation of a polarized film production line and a paste production line was concurrently started in September 2015.  The paste production line was recently completed and  will be put into operation first. Samsung SDI has set out a plant to produce 40 tons a month and eventually to raise production capacity to 100 tons a month in the future.

Having established a system to respond immediately to the demands in China where more than 70% of global photovoltaic modular makers are located, it is projected that Samsung SDI’s sales in China will grow further. Also with the operation of the Wuxi Plant, Samsung SDI will expand its target markets to the Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and India, which are emerging as new photovoltaic markets recently.

On May 24, Samsung SDI unveiled its new photovoltaic paste, “8800 Series” at the SNEC PV Power EXPO 2016, an international photovoltaic exhibition held in China. The 8800 Series is a product that delivers improved sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency. The conversion efficiency of solar cells developed so far is around 18 - 20% and the industry is strengthening technological development to improve the efficiency as much as possible.

In 2010, Samsung SDI started solar cell paste business based on its PDP electrode material technology with which it was leading the global market. Last year, entering its sixth year of solar cell paste business, Samsung SDI recorded the highest market share in China, the world’s largest solar cell market. This year, Samsung SDI plans to secure the top position in the global market by developing new products centering on its production base in China.

New Energy Finance, a market surveyor, forecasts that the global photovoltaic market will grow by an annual average of 9% or higher from 56GW in 2015 to 85GW in 2020. Accordingly, the markets for poly-silicon and PV paste, the key solar cell materials, are also expected to expand continuously.