The Chinese solar cell manufacturer Drinda and the Schmid Pekintas Energy from Turkey have unveiled plans to jointly develop a 5 GW N-Type solar cell facility to circumvent EU-trading barriers.
Hainan Drinda New Energy Technology has signed a strategic cooperation agreement via the daughter JTPV of Hong Kong with Turkish sun company Schmid Pekintas Energy to build a 5 GW N-type solar production facility in Turkey, starting with a first phase of 2 GW.
Drinda said that Turkey is currently organizing 15 GW of module capacity – first ranking in Europe. But it has less than 2 GW of solar cell capacity, creating a structural bottleneck that depends on the input. The partnership tries to tackle this imbalance.
Schmid Pekintas Energy, founded in 2014 as a joint venture between Pekintas Holding in Turkey and the Schmid group of Germany, is one of the best photovoltaic companies in the country and was mentioned in the 2025 Turkey Fortune 500.
Drinda supplies solar cell technologies and production processes, while Schmid Pekintas supervises the construction and staff of the facility.
Dinda, which specializes in solar cells of the N-type, has separately announced a 5 GW production project in Oman, is expected to be online by the end of 2025 online.
The Turkey project corresponds to the HIT30 plan of the government to strengthen regional solar chains. Drinda and Schmid Pekintas want to set up a very efficient cell hub that serves Turkey, Europe and the Middle East.
Turkey offers Nul-Tariff access to the EU under a customs union and benefits of a strong solar potential, on average more than 1500 kWh/m² per year. According to the Energy Map of the Land 2035, the solar and wind capacity is expected to be reached 120 GW, with 7 GW to 8 GW new solar capacity that has been added annually.
Drinda mentioned in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2024 and became the first Chinese manufacturer of solar cells that contained both A-share and H-Aan-Share statements. While the company has reported four consecutive quarters of losses, the loss of the first quarter has reduced growth in overseas orders and offshore production. International shipments are now good for more than half of the total turnover.
Industrial analysts said that Chinese sun companies are confronted with growing pressure to locate production abroad. The “Asset -Light Plus Local Partner” model of Drinda can offer a path ahead for others who navigate the policy for stricter trade and localization.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to work with us and reuse part of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
