L R AS Published on Sunday 24 September 2023 - n° 458 - Categories:the prices
The PV sector: falling prices for panels and cells
Panel prices are falling again. This is putting pressure on cell manufacturers.
Silicon
The supply of silicon on the spot market is relatively limited. This is pushing up prices
with prices ranging from 83 to 92 RMB/kg, and an average price of 85 RMB/kg. This is in stark contrast to the downturn in cell and panel prices!
Incidents at the factories of some manufacturers in Inner Mongolia disrupted supplies and deliveries of orders at the end of September. It is unlikely that the relationship between supply and demand will balance out in September. Further developments after the bank holidays are still uncertain.
Wood chips
Manufacturers are coping with rising silicon prices and falling cell prices. Inventories are rising slightly, to between five and seven days' production. There is a clear disparity in short-term price trends between manufacturers.
This week, the price of 210mm P-type wafers has fallen. Other wafer types remain at last week's level, at between RMB3.33 and RMB3.35/piece for M10 type P wafers, and between RMB4.18 and RMB4.2/piece for G12 wafers.
For N wafers, the price of M10 wafers is RMB 3.45-3.47/piece. As G12 wafers are made to order, the price is stabilising at RMB 4.47 per wafer.
Negotiations are taking place between wafer and cell manufacturers. They are particularly intense for G12 wafers, for which prices should fall next week.
Cells :
Cell prices continue to fall.
Under pressure from the panel sector, cell prices have collapsed this week, undermining prices throughout the supply chain. The trading price for G12 P-type cells is 0.73 RMB/W. The trading price for M10 cells varies considerably, ranging from 0.66 to 0.7 RMB/W, with the range of low prices falling even further.
For N cells, the TOPCon M10 cell price falls by 7-8% to 0.73-0.76 RMB/W. Prices for N-type cells are 0.04 RMB/W higher than for P-type cells. Prices for G12 HJT cells, mainly for internal use and to a lesser extent for external sales, remain at 0.85 RMB/W.
The fall in cell prices partly alleviates the pressure on panel manufacturers to reduce prices and improve panel profit margins. However, this could lead to further falls in wafer and panel prices. Cell prices could fall further as manufacturers deliver new orders at new prices. Future price trends will depend on cell manufacturers running out of stocks and end-user demand increasing.
Panels :
The sector is experiencing oversupply.
Delivery prices for glass-foil panels are falling to 1.2-1.22 RMB/W. Tier 1 panel manufacturers are accepting lower prices to secure orders. They are accepting orders between 1.18 and 1.2 RMB/W. Tier 2 and Tier 3 manufacturers are keeping their prices unchanged for cost reasons, at 1.2-1.21 RMB/W for glass-foil panels, with the low price range expected to be 1.15-1.16 RMB/W. Production volumes for September and October will fall due to production cutbacks at the end of September and the impact of the National Holiday.
Prices on non-Chinese markets are also being affected. Chinese exporters are delivering products at between $0.14 and $0.155/W (FOB). In Europe, spot prices are €0.14-0.15/W. Black-backed panels have a premium of €0.02-0.025/W.
Fluctuations in demand and prices throughout the supply chain affect the price of N-type panels. For TOPCon panels, prices fall to 1.21-1.35 RMB/W. In non-Chinese markets, TOPCon panels have a premium of $0.008 to $0.01/W over PERC panels.
For HJT panels, prices have changed little, ranging from 1.4 to 1.55 RMB/W in China, 1.4 RMB/W for spot stocks and 1.36-1.38 RMB/W for low-efficiency panels. On markets outside China, prices for HJT panels have stabilised at between $0.195 and $0.2/W.
https://www.infolink-group.com/energy-article/pv-spot-price-20230920
InfoLink of 20 September 2023
