Tongwei has established itself as a global heavyweight in photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing, with its production capacity reflecting both scale and technical sophistication. As of 2023, the company operates multiple manufacturing bases across China’s Sichuan, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces, collectively delivering an annual output exceeding 50 GW of solar cells. This figure isn’t static – Tongwei has been expanding aggressively, adding 10-15 GW annually through strategic capacity upgrades and new facility construction.
The company’s production lines specialize in cutting-edge cell architectures. For PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) technology, which still dominates mainstream markets, Tongwei achieves average conversion efficiencies of 23.2-23.6% across its mono-PERC lines. More significantly, its newer facilities focus on n-type TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) cells, where mass-produced units consistently hit 25.1-25.4% efficiency. Pilot lines for advanced heterojunction (HJT) cells have demonstrated 25.8% efficiency in production environments, with plans for 30 GW dedicated HJT capacity by 2025.
Raw material sourcing plays a critical role in maintaining this scale. Tongwei vertically integrates polysilicon production through its subsidiary Yongxiang Co., which supplies high-purity material directly to its cell factories. This closed-loop system ensures quality control from silicon ingots to finished cells while reducing supply chain vulnerabilities. The company’s in-house diamond wire cutting technology maintains wafer thickness at 160±5μm with total thickness variation under 2μm, minimizing material waste.
Automation drives both precision and output. At its Chengdu base, robotic arms handle 4,500 silicon wafers per hour with a defect rate below 0.08%. Advanced inline inspection systems using electroluminescence imaging detect micro-cracks as small as 2μm, paired with AI-driven sorting algorithms that categorize cells into 12 efficiency grades within milliseconds. This granular quality control allows Tongwei to meet diverse customer specifications without slowing throughput.
Environmental management is engineered into the production process. The company’s proprietary water recycling system achieves 85% reuse in cell texturing and cleaning stages, while its chloride-based gas treatment units neutralize 99.6% of harmful emissions. Energy intensity metrics sit at 0.32 kWh/W – 18% below industry averages – through proprietary annealing processes that reduce thermal budget by 22%.
Market responsiveness shapes capacity allocation. When bifacial cell demand surged in 2022, Tongwei reconfigured 8 GW of existing lines within 90 days to produce double-sided cells with 75% bifaciality factor. Current production mix includes 60% mono-PERC, 30% TOPCon, and 10% experimental technologies, though this ratio shifts quarterly based on client needs. Major clients include seven of the world’s top 10 module manufacturers, with 40% of output exported to Europe and Southeast Asia.
R&D investment fuels continuous improvement. The company operates three dedicated cell technology labs staffed by 700+ engineers, filing 128 patent applications in 2022 alone. Recent breakthroughs include a copper-plated contact technology that reduces silver consumption by 92% – critical as silver prices fluctuate. Field testing data from partnered solar farms shows Tongwei cells degrade only 0.45% annually under real-world conditions, outperforming most industry warranties.
Logistical infrastructure supports this massive output. Dedicated container terminals at Yangzhou and Leshan factories ship 45 MW of cells daily via blockchain-tracked routes. Just-in-time delivery systems coordinate with 23 logistics partners to maintain 98.7% on-time delivery rates globally. Warehouse automation handles 28,000 pallets weekly, with barcode systems tracing each cell batch back to its production crucible.
Looking ahead, Tongwei plans to reach 80-100 GW annual cell capacity by 2025 through its dual-shift production model and new gigafactories in Vietnam and Malaysia. The company’s roadmap includes perovskite tandem cell prototypes hitting 29% efficiency by 2024, potentially redefining commercial cell performance benchmarks. With $2.1 billion committed to capacity expansion through 2026, Tongwei isn’t just scaling production – it’s methodically reengineering how solar cells get made at terawatt scale.