On November 29th, Li Hejun, the director of Hanergy Group, proudly announced in Beijing that Hanergy had become the world’s largest thin-film photovoltaic (PV) company. With a production capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW), Hanergy can generate 4 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, enough to meet the electricity demands of 10 million urban residents. Unlike many Chinese crystalline silicon solar companies that have faced challenges from Europe and the U.S., Hanergy’s thin-film solar division has managed to avoid "anti-dumping" and "anti-subsidy" investigations, allowing it to look toward the future with confidence.
Since entering the thin-film solar PV industry in 2009, Hanergy has invested 27 billion yuan to establish R&D and manufacturing bases across Guangdong, Heyuan, Sichuan Shuangliu, Haikou, Shandong Yucheng, Zhejiang Changxing, and Jiangsu Wujin. Li Hejun explained that after thoroughly evaluating over 700 companies worldwide, Hanergy successfully acquired five key firms, placing them at the forefront of thin-film solar technology. Currently, they hold three out of the seven major thin-film solar technologies, with four of their innovations leading the global market.
The photovoltaic industry primarily follows two technical paths: crystalline silicon and thin-film. While crystalline silicon dominates public awareness, Li Hejun emphasized that it was the lower-quality crystalline silicon that contributed to the current struggles within China’s PV sector. “Five or six years ago, no one abroad was doing crystalline silicon,†he noted, “but now, thin-film solar energy is taking center stage.†Crystalline silicon requires significant capital investment and is associated with high pollution and energy consumption. In contrast, thin-film solar cells are eco-friendly, with minimal pollution, shorter energy payback periods, and better performance in low-light conditions.
Li Hejun highlighted that Hanergy’s operations align closely with China’s seven strategic emerging industries, encompassing new materials, renewable energy, high-end equipment manufacturing, and energy conservation. Their work has spurred the growth of 85 related industries, including glass, steel, plastics, and logistics, while supporting over 1,026 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This marks only the beginning. Globally, distributed generation represents the primary model for PV application, with some European countries already integrating photovoltaics into buildings at rates exceeding 80%. China is following suit, and recent governmental policies have further encouraged distributed generation, particularly this year. According to Li Hejun, approximately 89 billion square meters of urban and rural construction space in China remains untapped. Even using conservative estimates, this could yield 1 billion kilowatts of capacity by 2020—equivalent to the combined installed capacities of thermal, hydro, and nuclear power. This would directly drive 10 trillion yuan in economic output and indirectly boost another 20 trillion yuan, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.3 billion tons.
President Barack Obama once predicted that by 2025, clean energy would constitute 25% of global energy usage. Similarly, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon anticipates that by 2030, clean energy will reach 30%. Li Hejun envisions an even bolder future: under the influence of thin-film solar technology, clean energy could replace 50% of traditional fossil fuels by 2035, effectively solving the world’s energy shortages. In such a scenario, conflicts over oil resources would diminish, and oil prices might return to levels seen in the early 2000s, hovering around $20-$30 per barrel.
To make this vision a reality, Hanergy partnered with a climate organization on November 29th to launch the "Global Alternative Action for Clean Energy." They hope to integrate policy, technology, finance, and markets through collaborative efforts between governments, businesses, and societies to accelerate the global transition to clean energy.
This journey is just beginning, but Hanergy’s commitment to innovation and sustainability positions them as a key player in shaping the future of energy.
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