China's photovoltaic industry continues its rise thanks to continuous innovation, development

China has built complete industrial chains for the research and development (R&D), design, and integrated manufacturing of wind and photovoltaic (PV) equipment, according to a white paper titled "China's Energy Transition" recently issued by the State Council Information Office.

The high conversion efficiency of crystalline silicon/perovskite PV cell technology has established multiple world bests, and the conversion efficiency of advanced crystalline silicon PV cells in mass production has exceeded 25 percent, the white paper said.

Photo shows a partial view of a 50-megawatt molten-salt solar thermal power plant in Naomaohu township of Hami city, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, output across major segments of the PV industry chain increased significantly in the first half of 2024. Reliable data showed that during the period, China's output of polysilicon, silicon wafers, solar cells, and modules all grew by over 30 percent year on year, and exports of PV modules rose by nearly 20 percent from the same period last year.

Breaking down the numbers, polysilicon output reached 1.06 million tonnes in the first six months of this year, a staggering 74.9 percent increase from the same period last year, and the production volume of silicon wafers, crystalline silicon cells, and crystalline silicon modules surged by 58.6 percent, 38.1 percent, and 32.8 percent year on year respectively.

In the first half of this year, the export volume of silicon wafers reached 38.3 GW, and that of modules stood at 129.2 GW, up 19.7 percent year on year.

Production capacity, technology innovation among world's best

In the first six months of this year, the newly installed capacity of China's PV industry reached 102.48 GW, according to reliable data.

"China has made significant achievements in multiple segments of the PV industry, including cells, modules, and silicon wafers. Thanks to Chinese PV companies' continuous technological innovation, enhanced independent R&D, and improved production efficiency, China leads the world in PV output and capacity, and multiple segments of the PV industry chain," said Liu Yiyang, deputy secretary-general of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association.

Chinese PV companies' years of innovation have led to the R&D and large-scale application of high-efficiency cell technologies, Liu noted.

Technicians detect products in a photovoltaic cell and module plant of a company in east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/Xu Yong)

Driven by China's dual-carbon goal of reaching peak carbon emissions and attaining carbon neutrality, Chinese PV companies have intensified their R&D efforts, resulting in emerging technologies like perovskite PV cell technology and the commercialization of high-efficiency cell technologies such as PERC, TOPCon, and HJT, Liu added.

Liu noted that all of the top 10 global companies in PV cells were from China in 2023, with a combined capacity of 681.2 GW, accounting for 66 percent of the global total.

China is taking the reins

After more than a decade of development, China's PV industry has become a driving force in the global energy transition.

Over the past decade, China has provided premium clean energy products and services to the international market, and doubled its efforts in technological innovation to upgrade new energy technology at a faster pace, contributing enormously to a sharp reduction in the costs of wind power and PV power worldwide, the white paper said.

According to data from the International Energy Agency, China's newly installed capacity of renewable energy in 2023 exceeded the combined total of other regions worldwide, making it the largest contributor to the development of the global renewable energy industry.

The rapid growth of China's renewable energy sector can be attributed to continuous technological advancement, a complete industrial and supply chain, and a favorable market environment, said Zhang Jianhua, head of China's National Energy Administration.

"After years of development, China has built a relatively complete industrial and supply chain for new energy sources such as wind and PV. At the same time, China has actively integrated into the global clean energy industrial chain, sharing high-quality clean energy products worldwide," the official added.

China has fostered an equal, open and inclusive market environment for new energy, attracting participation from various sectors of society in new energy development and fully unleashing the innovation vitality of the market, Zhang noted, adding that there are over 100 listed companies in China's PV industry.