Myanmar earthquake disrupts solar wafer production, global supply chain

The recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has disrupted solar wafer production in western China, where about 50% of the country’s wafer capacity is concentrated. Major manufacturers have suspended operations due to equipment failures, raising concerns over supply shortages and higher global solar prices.

April 3, 2025 Patrick Jowett

Image: Feiza, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

The large earthquake that struck central Myanmar in late March has disrupted the global solar supply chain, JinkoSolar said.

A spokesperson for the Chinese module manufacturer told pv magazine the 7.7-magnitude quake had a major impact on western China, the country’s main wafer-producing region, which accounts for about 50% of total capacity.

Major wafer manufacturers have suspended production due to equipment failures, JinkoSolar added, with repairs expected to take several weeks or even months.

Yunnan province and Yibin prefecture in Sichuan province sustained the worst damage, with reports of furnace shutdowns and explosions that could delay production for an extended period.

A wafer shortage is expected. JinkoSolar noted that wafer prices had already risen nearly 6.7% before the quake as the peak solar installation season spurred stockpiling.

“Market analysts highlight that the disruptions from the earthquake could hinder the ongoing efforts to resume wafer production,” said JinkoSolar. “This could further tighten supply [and] will likely drive prices higher in the short term.”

The supply chain has also suffered from infrastructure losses. The collapse of the Ava Bridge in Myanmar, which connects Mandalay to the China-Myanmar border, has disrupted the transport of PV materials, including silver paste and glass. PV modules shipped from China’s Zhejiang province to Myanmar are now being rerouted through alternative ports, a shift expected to raise transport costs by about 15%.

Road damage in Yunnan and Sichuan has further extended inter-provincial transport times by 20% to 30%.

JinkoSolar said power line failures and logistics disruptions have also slowed production in parts of Inner Mongolia, with recovery expected within a week.

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