The availability of new LCD fabs and capacity ramps at existing lines are likely to result in an annual growth of 12% in area output for large-size panels in 2019, according to industry sources.

A total of four fabs dedicated to producing large-size panels will come online in 2019, with an 11G line of China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) being the first entering volume production in the first quarter of the year.

The second will be a new 8.6G line built by Chongqing HKC Optoelectronics in Chuzhou, eastern China. The Chuzhou plant, HKC's second 8.6G fab, is scheduled to kick off volume production in the second quarter of 2019 with a capacity of 150,000 substrates a month.

The new 8.6G a-Si LCD line, which requires a total capital input of CNY24 billion (US$3.577 billion), will utilize 2,250 by 2,600mm glass substrates to make flat panels mostly in 32-, 43-, 50- and 58-inch sizes, the sources said.

The aggregate annual production value of the 8.6G line will amount to CNY22 billion when it operates at full capacity, the sources said.

An 8.5G OLED line of LG Display in Guangzhou is also scheduled to kick off operation in the second quarter. And the fourth fab is a 10.5G line owned by Sakai SIO International Guangzhou, an affiliate of the Foxconn Group, that is scheduled to begin commercial production in October 2019, the sources indicated.

In addition to the new fabs, BOE Technology is ramping up output from its 10.5G line in Hefei, while the Irico Group is expanding the production capacity of its 8.6G line in Xianyang, the sources noted.

However, plans by Samsung Display to shift one of its 8.5G LCD lines for the development of QD-OLED panels starting the second quarter of 2019 could help ease the impacts of oversupply of the industry, said the sources.