Shigeya Kato, chairman of Solar Frontier parent-group Showa Shell Sekiyu, says the strength of the yen and stiff price competition from Chinese players have created a new dynamic since plans were laid for the vast new CIS module manufacturing plant.

Speaking at the official opening of Kunitomi on the outskirts of Miyazaki on Kyushu island, Kato hailed Solar Frontier’s proprietary technology and the efficiency of the plant as the keys to meeting the challenges and providing a new line of energy supply for Japan.

Solar Frontier claims that at 17.2%