Solar cell and module manufacturer Sunova Solar has announced its investment in a 9 GW TOPCon cell production facility in China’s Yibin City, which will focus on the production of 182mm, 199mm, and 210 mm TopCon solar cells.

This is the company’s first cell manufacturing facility that will be ramped up to 9 GW of annual production when completed.

Currently, Sunova Solar operates factories in China and Vietnam, with an integrated 4.2 GW capacity of solar modules. It has shipped more than 4 GW of modules cumulatively worldwide, according to the company.

“Investing in our cell manufacturing line is a key milestone in our long-term strategy and will decrease our dependency on other suppliers, thereby securing consistent quality cell input for our high-efficiency modules. Additionally, it provides us with enhanced control over our supply chain to ensure production of our modules with non-forced labor materials,” said Mike Song, Chairman of Sunova Solar.

The company, which offers a range of solar products and components such as photovoltaic modules, inverters, and solar battery storage, will use an automated guided vehicle to enhance the transportation of materials inside the new factory.

The cell production area is 67,000 square meters of the 107,000 square meters in which the factory is built. It has a workforce of 560 personnel in the factory and 420 front-line workers.

The company said a rooftop solar system will power the facility.

With an investment of $130 billion in the solar industry in 2023, China will account for over 80% of the world’s polysilicon, wafer, cell, and module manufacturing capacity in the next three years, according to a recent report by Wood Mackenzie.

In India, Jupiter International announced earlier this year that it is setting up a 1.2 GW solar cell manufacturing facility in Odisha, India, which is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2024.