Taiwan is expected to become the world’s No. 2 supplier of silicon solar cells this year, benefiting from increased manufacturing orders from European customers and recovering demand for solar cells, a Taipei-based research firm said yesterday.
This year, shipments of Taiwanese silicon solar cells, led by Motech Industries Inc (茂迪), may grow 1.6 times from last year to 1.78 gigawatts, Market Intelligence and Consulting Institute (MIC, 產業情報研究所) predicted.
Last year, Taiwan ranked No. 4 among the world’s silicon solar cell suppliers with a 12 percent market share. Taiwanese companies now have a chance to overtake Japan, or Germany, the world’s No. 2 and No. 3 silicon solar cell exporters respectively this year, MIC forecast.
“A sharp decline in the average selling price during the financial crisis drove costs higher for European cell makers, who are now under increasing pressure to farm out production to Asian manufacturers,” said MIC analyst Sean Kao (高鴻祥) in a report released yesterday.
“And Taiwanese solar cell makers, who have the advantage of quality and pricing [over rivals], are greatly expanding capacity to cope with [rising orders],” Kao said.
The global solar market is expected to grow quickly and solar panel builders may see an increase in purchases as countries such as Italy, France, the Czech Republic and the US follow Germany’s lead and announce subsidies, Kao said.
Governments in Japan and China have also started to provide subsidies for solar panels, further increasing demand, he added.
There are also more large-scale electronics makers entering the market, which is facilitating the development of the nation’s solar power industry, he said.
Companies such as flat-panel maker AU Optronics Corp (友達光電), power supply device maker Lite-On Technology Corp (光寶科技) and the world’s top contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) are entering the market by establishing new companies or through investing in existing players.
With a cash injection from the nation’s largest electronics companies this year, Taiwan’s solar cell makers will be able to enhance their competitiveness by improving manufacturing capabilities, global logistic systems and brand equity, enabling them to compete with Chinese rivals, Kao said.
Motech is setting an example after they obtained an NT$6.2 billion capital infusion from TSMC, which helped them to catch up with rival Gintech Energy Corp (昱晶) this year.
Shares of Gintech and Motech soared 5.9 percent and 1.93 percent to end at NT$91.5 and NT$100.5 respectively, yesterday, out-performing the benchmark TAIEX, which gained 1.06 percent.
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday received government approval to deploy its advanced 3-nanometer (3nm) process at its second fab currently under construction in Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a news release. The ministry green-lit the plan for the facility in Kumamoto, which is scheduled to start installing equipment and come online in 2028 with a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers, the ministry said. The Department of Investment Review in June 2024 authorized a US$5.26 billion investment for the facility, slated to manufacture 6- to 12nm chips, significantly less advanced than 3nm process. At a meeting with
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
RSS