The Solar Supply Chain War: Geopolitics of PV Manufacturing

Perspective: Global Industrial Competition
Word Count: 650

Production Dominance Shifts

Trade Policy Battles

• U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA):

• $2.3B solar imports detained at ports in 2023

• EU Net-Zero Industry Act:

• Mandates 40% domestic PV manufacturing by 2030

• India’s PLI Scheme: $3.2B subsidies for local fabs

Raw Material Strategies

• Silver reduction tech:

• Heterojunction cells cut silver use 80% (Meyer Burger)

• Copper plating adoption by 2026 (JinkoSolar)

• Silicon self-sufficiency:

• Wacker Chemie expands polysilicon capacity by 50% in Germany

Emerging Manufacturing Hubs

• Southeast Asia:

• Vietnam’s cell production: 38 GW in 2024 (up 300% since 2021)

• Middle East:

• Saudi Arabia’s $6.4B investment in 30 GW vertical PV factory

Decarbonization Pressures

• Carbon footprint of Chinese modules: 700 kg CO₂/kW

• REC’s Norway plant: 8 kg CO₂/kW using hydropower

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