News: Photovoltaics
22 July 2022
Solarvest orders 93MW of First Solar modules for Malaysian projects
First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA is to supply Solarvest Holdings Berhad of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a clean energy specialist and turnkey engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) service provider in South-East Asia, with 93MWDC of its cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules.
For delivery between August and November, the modules will power four projects being built as part of Malaysia’s Large Scale Solar Program (LSS). Solarvest will use First Solar Series 6 modules for projects in the Malaysian states of Selangor, Perak, and Kedah. About 75MW of the total order is expected to be sourced from First Solar’s manufacturing facility in Kulim, Malaysia. Founded in 2012, Solarvest pioneered grid-connected solar installations in Malaysia and has deployed about 400MW across the country.
“We’re thrilled to be using First Solar’s thin-film technology, including solar panels made in Penang, to power our projects in Malaysia,” says Solarvest’s executive director & group CEO Davis Chong. “The use of these advanced solar panels will further accentuate the advantage our engineering solutions bring in terms of maximizing energy yields,” he adds.
“This is also part of our strategy to mitigate concentration risk in relation to our procurement practices, especially given the uncertainties in the global supply chain today,” Chong continues. “The sourcing diversification promotes greater stability for Solarvest as we continue to scale up.”
“First Solar has a longstanding presence in Malaysia and we’re proud that our module technology will play a role in helping the country meet its clean energy goals,” says Adam Smith, First Solar’s VP of global business development. “This deal represents our commitment to deploying our high-performance and eco-efficient module technology at scale in Malaysia.”
First Solar has had a presence in Malaysia since 2007 and currently operates a 3.3GWDC manufacturing plant in Penang. In addition to its Malaysian manufacturing facilities, First Solar also operates factories in Vietnam and the USA, where it is building its third factory. The firm is also building a new 3.3GW factory in India. With First Solar’s expansion in the USA and India and optimization of its existing fleet, the firm expects its nameplate manufacturing capacity to double to 16GW in 2024. First Solar is the only US-headquartered company among the world’s ten largest solar manufacturers.
