• By Lisa Wang /
  Staff Reporter

Solar module maker United Renewable Energy Co (URE, 聯合再生) forecast shipments would grow next year on a gradual recovery in demand in Taiwan and overseas markets, after solar installation this year fell behind the company’s 2.2-gigawatt (GW) target.

During the first 10 months of this year, about 1.4GW of solar systems were deployed, bringing the total installation to 13.8GW, URE chief financial officer Pan Lay-lay (潘蕾蕾) told a conference yesterday.

As Taiwan needs to set up 6GW solar installations to reach its target of 20GW by the end of 2026, government agencies might speed up paperwork to push for new solar projects, Pan said.

Photo: Chang Hui-wen, Taipei Times

“We are optimistic about our solar product shipments growth next year versus this year,” Pan said.

Still, URE expects solar product prices to remain in a “severe” situation next year, as oversupply in China continues to pressure global solar capacity, she said.

As the US imposed heavy anti-dumping duties on solar cells and modules from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam would prevent Chinese companies from getting around the restrictions, URE has decided to shut down its solar cell production line in Thailand and to transform the unit into an energy total solution provider, Pan said.

In the past, the company produced solar cells in Thailand for the US market, she said.

The company also plans to build a new solar module production line next year to produce next-generation TOPCon solar wafers, Pan said.

The production line would have a capacity of 40GW a year, she said.

Meanwhile, URE plans to revamp an existing solar module production line, which has 400GW capacity, to enhance its competitiveness, she added.

The company reported losses of NT$1.92 billion (US$58.8 million) in the first three quarters of this year, compared with losses of NT$1.73 billion a year earlier. Revenue during the first 10 months fell 60 percent to NT$4.19 billion from NT$10.27 billion in the same period last year.