The Latest Trends And Hot Topics In The Southeast Asian PV Industry in August 2025

The US Expands the Scope of its Anti-dumping and Countervailing Duty Investigations, Putting Pressure on Southeast Asian Supply Chains

On August 7, the US Department of Commerce announced anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations into crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from India, Indonesia, and Laos. This marks a further tightening of US trade restrictions on Southeast Asian photovoltaic products, following the final anti-dumping and countervailing duty rulings in April 2025, which imposed anti-dumping and countervailing duty rates of up to 3,521.14% on Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. If the ruling in this investigation is upheld, the export costs of photovoltaic cells for countries like Indonesia will increase significantly. For example, Indonesia's battery exports to the US reached $420 million (in 2024). If the anti-dumping and countervailing duty rates are added, the total tariffs for some companies could exceed 50%.

On August 8, Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade released the "Renewable Energy Development Plan 2025-2030," raising the photovoltaic installation target from the original 10GW to 15GW (by 2030) and extending wind power subsidies until 2027 (onshore wind power at $0.08/kWh and offshore wind power at $0.11/kWh). Meanwhile, the ASEAN Energy Connectivity Workshop reached a consensus on launching the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia cross-border power grid project in 2026, with an investment of $4.5 billion, to alleviate regional power transmission bottlenecks.

On July 7, the United States announced a 25% tariff on Malaysian exports. Combined with the previous anti-dumping and countervailing duties (14.64% anti-dumping and 32.49% countervailing duties) and the Section 201 tariff (14%), the total tariff could reach 53.64%. Malaysian PV companies are responding to the impact by upgrading technology (such as N-type modules) and diversifying their markets (towards the Middle East and Africa). For example, Gstar Solar's 1.5GW cell and 1GW module factory in the Philippines has entered mass production, using N-type technology to mitigate tariff risks.

On August 13, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced the launch of the "Million Photovoltaic Village Cooperatives Program," aiming to deploy 1MW PV + 4MWh energy storage microgrids in 80,000 villages and simultaneously build 20GW of centralized power stations, bringing the total installed capacity to 100GW. The program is being implemented by Chinese companies such as Yongfu Group and China National Energy Group. Yongfu Group's 200MWac mountain PV + 80MW/80MWh energy storage project has entered the equipment installation phase. Upon completion, the project will reduce the cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour in rural areas to $0.12-0.15, over 40% lower than diesel-fired power generation.

On July 30, Chaoxun Communications and the Lao National Electricity Company signed a memorandum of understanding for photovoltaic projects in Bolikhamxay and Xekong provinces. The planned installed capacity exceeds 1GW, with 10% supporting energy storage (2-hour storage). On August 15, Hong Kong Cloud Energy International won the bid for the 150MW Khammouane Phase II photovoltaic project in Laos, equipped with 30MWh of energy storage, bifacial double-glass modules, and an intelligent operation and maintenance system. These two projects are the first large-scale centralized photovoltaic projects in Laos and are expected to meet 15% of the country's electricity demand upon grid connection in 2026.

China Energy Construction Corporation (CEEC) has won the bid for the 180MW floating solar project at the Sirinakarein Dam in Thailand, covering 300 hectares of water and expected to generate 360 million kWh of electricity annually. Meanwhile, Thailand's "DPPA direct power purchase policy" has driven a surge in demand for industrial and commercial solar, with new installations projected to reach 2-3.7GW by 2025. Sumec Phono Solar, in partnership with Thailand's Solomon Company, has launched a 595W N-type module suitable for tropical climates, offering a premium solar-plus-storage tariff of 2.83 baht/kWh (approximately US$0.06).

Chinese companies are deepening their presence in Southeast Asia through a "technology licensing + localized production" strategy. LONGi and JinkoSolar are building a 3GW module industrial park in Indonesia, which will meet 30% of local installation demand upon commissioning in 2026. Trina Solar is building a 1.5GW battery factory in Haiphong, Vietnam, with products shipped to the US via Malaysia, reducing tariff costs by 20%. Furthermore, the Export-Import Bank of China has established a $5 billion special loan facility to support photovoltaic project development in Southeast Asia, with an annual interest rate as low as 2.5%.

The energy storage ratio for integrated photovoltaic and storage projects in Southeast Asia has generally increased to 10%-20%. For example, village-level photovoltaic and storage projects in Indonesia require four hours of storage, and the Gstar factory in the Philippines is equipped with a 20MWh energy storage system to ensure stable power supply. In terms of technology, all-vanadium flow batteries are increasingly being used in long-duration energy storage scenarios in Thailand and Vietnam. Jiangsu Maymuse Energy Storage's 1.15MW photovoltaic + 0.5MW/2MWh vanadium battery project in Indonesia is operational, reducing CO2 emissions by over 1,000 tons annually.

In the first half of 2025, China's module exports to Southeast Asia increased by 47% year-on-year, with surging demand in the Philippines and Myanmar (Philippines' monthly imports increased by 127.8% month-on-month). In traditional markets, Malaysia's exports are hindered by tariff pressure, while Indonesia, leveraging favorable policies (100% foreign ownership and full tax exemption), is attracting Chinese investment. Its photovoltaic installed capacity is expected to exceed 8GW in 2025, a 300% year-on-year increase.

Policy Documents: "Million Photovoltaic Plan for Village-Level Cooperatives" by the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Minerals, and "Renewable Energy Development Plan 2025-2030" by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade. Project Updates: Announcements from Yongfu Co., Ltd. and Chaoxun Communications, official release from the ASEAN Sustainable Energy Week.

Trade Data: US Department of Commerce Anti-dumping and Countervailing Investigation Announcement, China General Administration of Customs Inverter Export Report.

Industry Analysis: InfoLink's "Southeast Asia Photovoltaic Market White Paper 2025," BNEF's "Energy Storage Cost Trend Report."