BNEF predicts that China’s manufacturing capacity for solar modules and battery cells will be around double the level of global demand consistent with reaching net zero emissions by mid-century.
great news for the global race to net zero
but…”duplicating supply chains when the world is already awash with cheap equipment makes little economic sense”
“Then again, onshoring was never really about economics” (but politics)
“Cyclical overcapacity is a feature across the Chinese economy, from steel to lower-end semiconductors,” said clean energy research specialist BNEF in a new report. “But today’s surplus of clean-tech manufacturing is unprecedented.”
Chinese supply capacity is said to outstrip global demand for solar equipment, lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen electrolysers and wind turbine nacelles.