In the first half of this year, China’s exports of photovoltaic products reached $25.9 billion, a surge of 113% on a year-on-year basis

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On July 21, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association held an online seminar titled “Review of the Photovoltaic Industry’s Development in the First Half of 2022 and Outlook for the Second Half”. At the meeting, reporters learned that in the first half of this year, China’s exports of photovoltaic products reached $25.9 billion, an increase of 113% on a year-on-year basis, setting another new record. At the same time, a combination of distributed and centralized approaches has proven effective; the cumulative installed capacity of distributed photovoltaic power generation in China has reached 130 million kilowatts, accounting for one-third of the total. From January to June, China’s new installed capacity for photovoltaic power generation reached 30.87 million kilowatts, a 119% increase year-on-year, exceeding the total installed capacity for the same period last year. As of the end of June this year, the cumulative installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation in our country reached 340 million kilowatts, representing a year-on-year increase of over 25%. In terms of installation patterns, during the first half of the year, the photovoltaic industry saw a combination of distributed and centralized installations. In particular, distributed photovoltaics have seen strong growth, becoming a key driver of the increase in installed capacity. In the first six months, the new installed capacity of distributed photovoltaic power generation in China reached 19.65 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 125%, accounting for about two-thirds of the total. As of the end of June this year, the cumulative installed capacity of distributed photovoltaic power generation in China reached 130 million kilowatts, accounting for over one-third of the total. As the installed capacity continues to grow, photovoltaic power generation also increases, maintaining a relatively high level of utilization. From January to June, China’s photovoltaic power generation amounted to approximately 205 billion kWh, a 30% increase on a year-on-year basis. The average utilization rate is about 97%. On the manufacturing side, in the first six months, China’s polysilicon production amounted to 365,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 53.4% ； Silicon wafer production reached 153 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 45.5% ； The output of solar cells reached 136 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 46.6%. The output of components reached 124 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 54.1%. The production volume of products in each key segment increased by over 45% on a year-on-year basis, which not only effectively met the demand from domestic markets but also drove the development of the photovoltaic industry in overseas markets. Wang Bohua, honorary president of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, noted that in the first half of this year, China’s photovoltaic products saw both an increase in volume and prices, with export values reaching new heights. In the first six months, China’s exports of silicon wafers, solar cells, and solar modules totaled $25.9 billion, an increase of 113% on a year-on-year basis. Among them, the export volume of components reached 78.6 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 74.3%. “Although the international situation has been complex this year, China’s photovoltaic industry has risen to the challenges, demonstrating the responsibilities of a major country. ” Yang Xudong, deputy director of the Department of Electronic Information under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, noted that since 2022, influenced by international factors, the pace of energy transition across countries around the world has accelerated, creating greater opportunities for the manufacturing sector of China’s photovoltaic industry. Although the photovoltaic industry continues to develop rapidly, it is also important to note the issue of coordinated supply development faced by the industry at present. “Since last year, prices in the photovoltaic supply chain have continued to rise. To date, the photovoltaic supply chain has continued to show a rapid upward trend, with no signs of easing. Recently, we have tracked prices for silicon materials, with the highest quoted price reaching 300 yuan per kilogram. Although high prices are to some extent a sign of an imbalance between supply and demand, inflated prices also have an adverse effect on the healthy development of the photovoltaic industry. It is hoped that the industry’s supply chains can achieve effective collaborative development, pool collective efforts, and explore long-term mechanisms to ensure supply chain coordination. It is necessary not only to address the issues related to the coordinated development of the industry’s supply chain at present, but also to prevent potential overcapacity in the future caused by unreasonable expansion of production capacity. ” **Gao Nan, a second-level researcher at the New Energy Division of the Department of New and Renewable Energy under the National Energy Administration, also emphasized that a safe, stable, reliable, and orderly supply chain is a prerequisite for ensuring the high-quality development of the photovoltaic industry. Price stability in the industrial chain is not only the common expectation of the entire industry but also in line with its common interests. The joint efforts of the entire industry to ensure the stable, orderly, and healthy development of the photovoltaic industry chain will lay a solid foundation for China to achieve its dual-carbon goals on schedule.