2022 Taiwan module shipment ranking: URE and TSEC tie with meagre difference

InfoLink published the latest Taiwan module shipment ranking for 2022, which remains the same as in the preceding year. URE and TSEC tied with a meagre difference, followed by AUO, Motech, and Gintung. Total shipment volume was unchanged, due to line modification from G1 to M6 production last year. The top two manufacturers together accounted for nearly 70% of market share. Local module supply still has room to grow in the steadily expanding PV market of Taiwan.

The 2022 ranking remains the same, but manufacturers are differentiating strategically. URE, with production capacity in Taiwan and Southeast Asia and OEM business overseas, saw a marked increase in shipment volume last year. TSEC shipped more modules within Taiwan last year. After developing production lines for M10 (182mm) modules, TSEC became Taiwan’s first M10 supplier in the fourth quarter. AUO had been yielding steady output with its brand advantage. As the market come to the awareness of the superiority of modules from Southeast Asia, AUO stepped in as an agent, diversifying its production lines, and catering to the demand of local customers. Motech introduced cutting-edge n-type TOPCon products in the fourth quarter. The price-performance ratio of its new technology requires further observation. Gintung announced to be the agent of Jinko in Taiwan at Energy Taiwan last year, starting agent business with Tier-1 manufacturers besides working on their products amid the increasing dominance of modules from Southeast Asia.

Taiwan added 2 GW of installed PV capacity last year, a 7.5% year-on-year increase, despite price hikes across the supply chain pushing up module costs and project installation costs. End users imported more, 600-700 MW of modules from Vietnam, the largest exporting country to Taiwan, accounting for 30% of market share. 

In 2023, the market awaits solutions from the government for issues including the acquisition of land and feeder and a streamlined installation process. Still, module prices will drop in line with price declines across the supply chain, reducing the cost of project installation, and catalyzing demand. Meantime, the promotion of “fishery-electricity symbiosis” and “agrivoltaic farming” and the draft amendment to the Renewable Energy Development Act for encouraging rooftop PV underline the government’s efforts in developing renewable energy. In 2023, new solar installations will continue increasing. With more and more module makers completing modification of production lines for large-format products, and production expansions of new entrants, Taiwanese module makers will together take up a larger share of the total shipment volume.