JA Solar, which is included among the top 10 solar PV manufacturers in 2014, is expanding its solar business in Asia-Pacific region.
The company today announced it has completed shipping of 100MW of modules to the first large-scale solar farm in Pakistan.
Located at the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Punjab, the solar farm is a key project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, an under-construction development program for energy and infrastructure projects to connect China to southern Pakistan and develop a new gateway for trade.
Energy demand in Pakistan has grown approximately 8 percent annually, leaving the country with an estimated deficit in energy production of 6 GW. The solar farm will serve to address the country’s energy shortage, JA Solar officials said.
With approximately 3,000 hours of sunlight every year, Punjab in Pakistan enjoys some of the highest solar radiance in the world.
However, the arid and harsh climate in Pakistan poses huge challenges for its operation. During summer, the temperatures reach up to 50 degrees. This extremely hot and dry climate demands the highest quality modules.
JA Solar modules were selected after successfully passing the quality tests by PV Lab Germany, an authoritative third-party accredited laboratory which sets strict standards for raw material selection, manufacturing processes and quality inspection. Tests included Electroluminescence Inspection and the 3xIEC Standard Thresher Test.
According to Jian Xie, president of JA Solar, the establishment of the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park is an important means to attract foreign investment for Pakistan’s energy industry. “By completing 100MW of shipments to Pakistan, JA has achieved a new milestone in its effort to expand globally into new markets.”
During the third quarter of 2014, JA Solar shipped 785.4 MW, an increase of 57 percent year over year. Net revenue was RMB 3.0 billion ($492.2 million), an increase of 71.8 percent year over year and increase of 24.7 percent sequentially.
Rajani Baburajan
editor@greentechlead.com