Tongwei Solar recently announced the setup of its new 1GW heterojunction (HJT) pilot line, equipped with capabilities for both silver-coated copper and copper plating technologies.
During a recent earnings call, Tongwei Solar shared insights into its ongoing research on two advanced metallization technologies to reduce costs and improve HJT solar cells‘ efficiency.
These technologies include the “silver-coated copper + zero busbar (0BB)” approach, known internally as HJT 2.0, and the copper plating technology, referred to as HJT 3.0.
The new pilot line, located in Chengdu, China, saw its first equipment installed in late April. It is designed to support mass production and batch shipments of HJT cells.
Initial evaluations suggest that silver-coated copper cells currently have higher production capacity and yield rates compared to copper grid cells. However, copper plating technology holds promise for higher cost savings and efficiency improvements in the long run. Tongwei Solar is focused on optimizing this technology to enhance its performance, said the company.
Regarding mass production timelines, Tongwei Solar stated that it will continuously compare new technologies against current mainstream solutions to make informed decisions about market introduction.
