GCL Fires Up World’s First GW-Scale Perovskite Tandem Line Factory

• GCL launches a $700 million Kunshan plant able to roll out 2 GW of record-efficient perovskite–silicon tandem modules each year, ushering flexible solar into mass production.

Perovskite photovoltaics just crossed the line from pilot to production. On 24 June, GCL Optoelectronic Materials switched on what it bills as the world’s first gigawatt-scale perovskite tandem module facility in Kunshan, Jiangsu. Phase 1 brings 1 GW of annual capacity; a second 1 GW line will follow, taking total output to 2 GW. Backed by a 5 billion-yuan (≈ US $700 million) investment, the plant anchors GCL’s “production + scenario demonstration” strategy, pairing mass manufacturing with field deployments to accelerate bankability.

The fully automated line produces 2.76 m² modules—roughly 1.2 m × 2.4 m, the largest commercial perovskite panels to date. GCL says the glass–glass laminates have already cleared TÜV Rheinland’s triple IEC stress tests, validating stability under heat, light and humidity. Earlier this month, a perovskite–silicon tandem module from the same technology stack notched a certified 29.51 % efficiency, staking a claim to the current world record at industrial size. 

Scale matters because perovskites promise dramatic cost drops once they move from lab benches to roll-to-roll coaters. GCL projects an annual output value of roughly CNY 1 billion (≈ US $139 million) from Phase 1 alone, driven by material-light processes that operate well below the 800 °C required for crystalline-silicon wafers. The company says it is already lining up scenario pilots—from building-integrated façades to agrivoltaic canopies—to prove real-world reliability and unlock finance.

Analysts note that GCL’s leapfrogging strategy mirrors the early years of thin-film CdTe, where gigawatt factories underwrote rapid learning curves. The key question now is yield: maintaining uniform coating quality over 2-metre glass and preventing defects at industrial speed. If Kunshan hits its targets, module costs could drop below US $0.20 /W within two years, putting flexible tandem panels in the same ballpark as commodity silicon while offering higher efficiencies and lighter weight.

With commissioning complete, GCL will focus on raising tool utilisation, fine-tuning encapsulation recipes and expanding its partner ecosystem. As the first gigawatt-scale perovskite site moves from ribbon-cutting to routine shift work, the perovskite era of solar manufacturing looks less like a promise and more like a production schedule.