Cumulative shipments of 210mm modules reached 150GW by the end of June, with Trina Solar accounting for half of that, reported TrendForce, a global market intelligence provider.

By the end of the year, TrendForce forecasted the production capacity of 210mm modules to reach 722 GW, or 69.83% of total capacity. The increase in capacity and shipments demonstrates that large-format, high-power modules are rapidly advancing the development of the entire value chain. Furthermore, the power output of the 210mm n-type module has surpassed 700W, underlining the openness and innovation of the 210mm product technology platform.

210mm wafer production capacity rose 89.3% over the year, with 210mm modules accounting for 70% of total module capacity

Larger and thinner wafers have advanced rapidly, with the large-format wafers quickly dominating the market, thanks to big cost reductions and improvements in efficiency. Large-format wafer capacity is likely to reach 878.6GW this year, accounting for a market share of 95.33%, TrendForce said. Notably, 210mm wafer capacity is expected to reach 357.2GW, 89.3% more than last year. 

Figure 1: Capacity share of wafers of various sizes (Unit: %)

TrendForce also mentioned that large-format cell capacity is likely to reach 1,136.2 GW this year, 96.93% of the total. 210mm cell capacity is expected to reach 899.9GW, 179% more than last year. This growth will also increase its market share to 76.8%. 

Figure 2: Capacity share of large-format cells (Unit: %)

In the module segment, TrendForce estimated that large-format module (LFM) capacity will reach 961 GW this year, with a market share of 92.84%. The production capacity of 210mm modules is forecast to rise to 722GW, 116% more than last year, accounting for 69.83% of total capacity. Capacity is forecast to continue expanding in the coming years, cementing the mainstream position of large-format modules in the market.

Figure 3: Capacity share of modules of different sizes (Unit: %)

High-power, large-format modules account for more than 90% of bidding activity, and the market penetration of n-type modules is accelerating

Thanks to cost reductions, efficiency improvements, and expanding application settings, the high-power, large-format modules now account for more than 90% of bidding activity, establishing themselves as the mainstream choice in the end market.

The total bidding capacity of PV modules in China in the first seven months of the year was 137.78 GW. Modules with power exceeding 540W accounted for 98.37% of the total bidding capacity at 135.5GW. Large-format modules (182mm/210mm) accounted for 98.42%, at 135.6GW. N-type modules reached 18.8% with 25.9GW, and that share continues to grow.

High demand has produced 150GW in cumulative shipments of 210mm modules

By the end of June, cumulative shipments of 210mm (including 210R) modules amounted to 150GW, TrendForce said. Among the 150GW 210mm module shipments, Trina Solar accounted for over 75GW.

TrendForce forecasted that ongoing cost reductions and efficiency improvements will continue to propel the shipment of large-format modules this year with shipments exceeding 85%. Additionally, 210mm module shipments are forecast to reach record levels.

Figure 4: Shipments of leading module manufacturers (Unit: GW)

Leading players are unveiling numerous n-type products, including 210mm n-type modules leading the industry into the 700W+ era

With the mass production of Vertex N 700W+ modules, Trina Solar is leading the industry into the PV 7.0 era. The company said in its half-yearly financial report that by the end of the year, the company will have established production capacity of 50GW for n-type wafers and 75GW for cells, with n-type cells accounting for 40GW.

In the realm of n-type modules, heterojunction technology (HJT) modules are primarily 210mm, while TOPCon modules are mostly 210mm (210R) and 19X. When 210mm (210R) n-type modules are compared with 19X n-type modules, the former significantly outperforms the latter in power output. 

The 210mm n-type technology is set to deliver increased value across the industrial chain and the end market, thus promoting high-quality development of the photovoltaic industry.