(Yicai Global) Nov. 16 -- Shares of Chinese solar wafer manufacturer Shuangliang Eco-Energy Systems climbed after it said it has received a CNY6.5 billion (USD1 billion) order from Jiangsu province-based photovoltaic module maker Solar Space.

Shuangliang's stock price [SHA: 600481] surged as much as 4.4 percent to CNY13.29 (USD2.10) intraday. The shares have more than tripled in value this year.

The company's upcoming plant in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region will provide Longheng New Energy, a solar cell manufacturing unit of Solar Space, with 950 million pieces of large-sized solar silicon wafers, the Jiangyin-based seller said in a statement yesterday. The contract begins next year and continues till 2024.

This is the third big client that Shuangliang has secured for the new production base since September. The others include Runyang Yueda Photovoltaic Technology which aims to purchase 1.3 billion monocrystalline wafers between 2022 and 2024. Moreover, Shanghai-based Aiko Solar Energy intends to buy 2.1 billion wafers during the same three years.

The CNY14 billion (USD2.2 billion) factory in northern China is predicted to start trial production next year and officially kick off mass production in 2023, the parent said earlier.

The pair's agreement should help the buyer ensure enough raw materials for its expansion. Longheng is building a solar cell production base with a total investment of CNY10.2 billion in Jiangsu province, public data show. The plant is expected to have a capacity of 10 gigawatts of solar cells and a 5GW output of photovoltaic modules per year.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi