Asahi Glass to quit solar glass production at plant in Suzhou, China

Asahi says that its profitability of the PV glass market is falling due to Chinese competition

Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. (AGC, Tokyo) has announced that it will transition its factory in Suzhou, China from making glass for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and will begin making automotive glass in 2015.

AGC cites both a healthy market for glass in China's auto industry and excessive Chinese investments in PV glass. The company notes that in 2012 it closed a PV cover glass facility in the United States and stopped producing raw glass for PV modules in the Philippines.

“Despite such measures, however, profitability of the photovoltaic cover glass business is deteriorating as the situation of lower prices for such glass has not been improved, hurt by excessive supply,” notes AGC in a press statement.