Chinese solar manufacturer TCL Zhonghuan said its board has approved a CNY 2.6 billion ($382 million) capacity upgrade project to expand its back-contact (BC) solar cell and module production capabilities. The upgrade work is scheduled to begin in July 2026, with the revamped facilities expected to reach full production by the end of the first quarter of 2027. The company plans to invest CNY 1.4 billion to convert 20 GW of existing TOPCon cell capacity into BC cell production lines. The conversion will cover 6 GW of capacity at its Quzhou facility and 14 GW at its Xinzhou facility. The upgraded cell lines are expected to begin production ramp-up by the end of the third quarter of 2026. In addition, TCL Zhonghuan will invest CNY 1.2 billion to upgrade 25 GW of existing TOPCon module capacity into BC module production lines. The module upgrades will involve 3 GW in Quzhou, 4 GW in Yixing, 8 GW in Jingshan, 9 GW in Tianjin, and 1 GW in Zhangzhou. These upgraded module lines are also expected to start production ramp-up by the end of the third quarter of 2026.

China Datang Group has released the shortlisted suppliers for its 2026–2027 framework procurement of PV modules and inverters. The module tender covers a total of 11 GW, including 6 GW of n-type TOPCon modules, 1 GW of heterojunction (HJT) modules, and 4 GW of BC modules. Fifteen leading Chinese module manufacturers, including JinkoSolar, Trina Solar, and Longi, were shortlisted. The shortlisted bid prices ranged from CNY 0.705 ($0.091)/W to CNY 0.800/W ($0.104/W to $0.118/W) for TOPCon modules, CNY 0.741/W to CNY 0.772/W ($0.109/W to $0.114/W) for HJT modules, and CNY 0.790/W to CNY 0.812/W ($0.116/W to $0.119/W) for BC modules. The inverter tender totals 9.5 GW, comprising 8 GW of string inverters and 1.5 GW of central inverters. Zhuzhou Converter Technology National Engineering Research Center Co. Ltd., TBEA Xinjiang New Energy Co. Ltd., and Sineng Electric were shortlisted for string inverters. The first two companies were also shortlisted for central inverter supply.