China publishes list of approved PV manufacturers

Following an »expert review,« China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has published an updated list of 109 PV manufacturers that comply with »PV manufacturing norms and conditions.« These lucky few will be eligible to receive government support and export tax rebates and will be able to participate in government tenders. The roughly 400 applicants that were excluded from the list will be on their own, unable to take advantage of any of these benefits. The list, an updated version of a list of 134 companies published in November, is missing several well known manufacturers including LDK Solar and Shunfeng.
Criteria for inclusion in the list was based on a number of factors including the amount of cells converted to modules; a minimum manufacturing capacity for polysilicon, ingot and wafer producers; and environmental conditions at the production sites. The application process will be repeated every 6 months, enabling companies that upgrade their facilities to be added to the list. Companies already on the list will have to prove that they still meet the government’s guidelines at each review.
The list is part of a government effort to prevent further domestic PV production capacity from being added so as to reduce oversupply in the solar industry. In September, the Chinese government introduced restrictions on the expansion of the domestic solar industry in the frame of a broader plan to reduce overcapacity in industries ranging from steel to paper.
© PHOTON