Sun keeps shining on China solar market

The strength of the Chinese solar-energy industry was again highlighted this week, after one of the country's largest renewable energy firms flicked the switch on a major new solar farm.

China-based Suntech Power Holdings has completed a 10MW utility-scale solar power plant, making it China's largest solar PV plant to be connected to the grid. The move is the first phase of a 50MW solar plant that is expected to be completed by 2011.

The project, which is being undertaken in partnership with China Energy Conservation Investment, will use over 37,000 Suntech solar panels and is projected to displace approximately 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

Under a strategic agreement announced earlier this year, Suntech and China Energy Conservation Investment will partner to develop a range of solar projects, including large-scale on-grid solar projects, as well as urban building integrated PV projects, rural off-grid solar projects, and wind-solar hybrid projects.

Longsheng Li, deputy general manager of China Energy Conservation Investment, said the company was confident that "plentiful, large-scale solar resources, powered by Suntech's premium-quality solar systems and system-integration capabilities, can deliver decades of clean, renewable electricity throughout many regions in China".

Under the partnership, China Energy Conservation Investment provides the project investment, while Suntech supplies solar products, system design, installation and technical support.

In related news, Chinese solar-power company Trina Solar this week landed a sales deal with solar plant developer Kerself SPA to provide 73MW of solar panels. Trina says it will ship 23MW of solar panels in the fourth quarter of 2009, followed by a further 50MW during the first half of next year.