On October 25-26, Sichuan Province hosted the “Photovoltaic Industry Supply and Demand Matching Conference” in Meishan, centered around the theme “Crossing Cycles, Moving Forward.” The event brought together over 500 attendees, including leading photovoltaic companies, renewable energy developers, industry associations, academic institutions, and investment agencies from across the nation. The aim was to strengthen the photovoltaic industry at the heart of the new energy supply chain, ensuring energy security, stability, and facilitating a green, low-carbon transition.
Participants had the opportunity to visit multiple photovoltaic production facilities in Meishan, gaining firsthand insights into the operational aspects of these companies. During a visit to the Tongwei Solar base in Meishan, the scene was bustling. The spacious workshop appeared mostly devoid of human workers, with intelligent transport robots efficiently moving materials. On the production line, large monocrystalline silicon wafers underwent various processes, such as texturing, diffusion, and SE laser doping, transforming into high-efficiency solar cells. Just next door, at Sichuan Meike New Energy Co., delicate steel wires were being cut into square bars and processed through washing, sorting, testing, and packaging stages to produce monocrystalline silicon wafers that supply downstream enterprises with essential materials.
The conference opened with Tongwei Group’s Chairman Liu Hanyuan reflecting on the company’s journey in Sichuan. He analyzed the current challenges facing the industry and expressed a desire to collaborate with peers to create a healthier ecosystem for sustainable and efficient growth. Following this, GCL-Poly Energy’s Founder and Chairman Zhu Gongshan delivered a keynote speech titled “Rational Balance of Technological Innovation and Full Chain Collaboration,” highlighting that the photovoltaic industry, now 20 years old, stands at a critical juncture requiring careful navigation and offered valuable insights for the development of Sichuan’s photovoltaic sector.
Throughout the conference, several crucial technology demonstrations and supply-demand negotiations took place, focusing on key components of the industry chain, including industrial silicon, polysilicon, silicon wafers, solar cells, modules, and inverters. Over 60 companies unveiled 142 photovoltaic product supply-demand lists, with collaborative development agreements exceeding 50 billion yuan. Notably, contracts for supply cooperation were signed by 12 companies, including Tongwei Solar and GCL New Energy.
Looking ahead, Sichuan aims to strengthen the new energy supply chain centered on photovoltaics. By leveraging “smart upgrades and digital transformation” to enhance existing enterprises, Sichuan plans to explore emerging areas such as perovskite cells, tandem cells, and recycling of retired components. The goal is to expand new markets for centralized solar power plants and distributed solar applications, targeting a significant increase in supply chain resilience and safety levels, aiming for an industry scale exceeding 500 billion yuan by 2027.
