Wuxi Suntech CEO Eric Luo
In a bid to expand its footprint in Africa, global photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer Wuxi Suntech has established a subsidiary company in South Africa, Suntech Power South Africa, expanding the group’s presence in the country and boosting the provision of PV modules to gateway markets in the region.
The group produces solar products for residential, commercial, industrial and utility applications, having delivered over 30-million PV panels or 8 GW of installed capacity in over 80 countries.
“Given [South Africa’s] dedication to growing renewable energies, Suntech is exploring the potential of locating manufacturing, assembly and warehousing facilities, as well as offering after-sales services in the [South African] market.
“This would enable Suntech to quickly supply a greater volume of PV modules to meet growing demand,” commented Wuxi Suntech CEO Eric Luo.
Suntech recently supplied 100 MW of PV modules for two projects selected during the first bidding round of the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
“With our increased presence and capacity to provide South African developers with high-quality modules, we will be well-positioned to support projects from the REIPPPP third-bid submission onwards,” commented Suntech South Africa country head Ryan Virahsawmy.
Wuxi Suntech was recently acquired by Hong Kong-based Shunfeng Photovoltaics.