LDK and Canadian Solar clinch large-scale China PV projects

China-based LDK Solar and Canadian Solar have each announced plans to build 500MW projects in the country, just weeks after the launch of a new government subsidy scheme for large-scale solar developments.

Solar wafer maker LDK announced earlier this week that it is partnering with the Chinese city of Yancheng, located in Jiangsu province, to develop a number of solar facilities with a total capacity of 500MW.

The projects will comprise ground-mounted power stations, rooftop PV installations and building integrated systems, all of which are to be built over the next five years.

Meanwhile, Canadian Solar also announced this week said that it has obtained the rights to build, operate and maintain a 500MW solar power plant in Baotou, the largest city in Inner Mongolia.

The project is to be built in three phases, starting with a 100MW system installed by 2011. Two separate 200MW systems will be added in the following years, taking the total capacity of the site to 500MW.

Despite its name, Canadian Solar – like LDK – is a Nasdaq-listed company that conducts its manufacturing operations in China, although it is incorporated in Canada's Ontario province. Its PV product line includes ingots, wafers, cells and modules.

Financial details of the Yancheng and Baotou projects, both of which are pending government approval, were not disclosed. Both are likely to be eligible for government subsidies of between 50 and 70 per cent under the recently announced "Golden Sun" initiative, which targets large-scale solar projects with a capacity of more than 500MW.