Energía Provincial Sociedad del Estado (EPSE) says production at its new vertically integrated solar plant in San Juan, Argentina, will start soon once key equipment arrives from China.
State-owned EPSE continues its plan to establish a vertically integrated solar cell and module manufacturing facility in Argentina’s Pocito department, San Juan province.
The arrival of an industrial laminating machine marks an important milestone for the long-delayed project. The equipment is essential for the production line at the state-owned company’s factory, which will manufacture modules using locally produced quartz.
The facility will integrate the production of silicon rods, wafers and crystalline cells to deliver solar panels with an initial capacity of approximately 800,000 units per year, equivalent to a production of approximately 400 MW. The design allows expansion of up to 1 GW per year.
“From November 19, the team that will start up and assemble it will arrive,” said EPSE president Luca Estrada. “What we’re going to do is unload it, lower it to the ground and take it to the factory. After November 19, we have about 45 days to complete the assembly, after which testing of the machine will begin, which will take another 45 days.”
The 100-ton laminating machine was delivered to the EPSE factory in Pocito after a complex logistics operation that required seven trucks. The equipment, purchased in China, consists of four modules – two for each laminator, top and bottom – each weighing around 25 tonnes.
According to an official statement, the shipment included six containers wider than the standard lanes, each requiring an escort vehicle, and one standard container. The cargo reached Argentina via Chile after being in transit for over a week.
EPSE’s module factory has been under development for several years. In 2021, provincial and national governments signed agreements to move forward with construction, following previous efforts in 2018 and 2022 that did not result in sustainable activities.
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