Many MindedChinese Solar Tender Drives Down Module Costs for Global Data Infrastructure
Chinese authorities have shortlisted 23 solar module manufacturers for a 2026 centralized procurement tender targeting 15 GW of solar modules. The tender includes 10.7 GW of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules, 1 GW of heterojunction (HJT) modules, and 3.3 GW of back-contact (BC) modules. Shortlisted bids range from CNY 0.695 ($0.102) to CNY 0.779 per watt, representing a significant cost reduction for large-scale deployment. Final contract awards remain pending confirmation, though JinkoSolar secured recent certifications for module safety and labeling under Chinese national standards.
This tender directly impacts global AI/data infrastructure costs through competitive pricing. The low module cost targets—especially for TOPCon technology—could accelerate solar energy affordability for data centers, where energy costs currently dominate operational expenses. Meanwhile, TrendForce forecasts China’s polysilicon inventories exceeded 570,000 metric tons in November 2026, with domestic production falling to ~95,000 metric tons, indicating supply chain pressure that may temporarily constrain module availability.
The tender’s scale moves abundance by lowering the cost barrier for solar power in high-demand applications. Cheaper modules mean more data centers can operate sustainably without escalating energy costs, directly supporting the global shift toward decentralized computing infrastructure. However, the outcome hinges on pending contract awards and geopolitical factors like Drinda’s canceled Omani solar project, which highlights how trade tensions could disrupt supply chains.
What to watch: Final award decisions, polysilicon inventory dynamics, and whether trade tensions derail module production. Note: Final contracts remain pending; polysilicon figures are TrendForce forecasts.
Source: pv magazine