China expected to add up to 99GW of solar PV every year through 2025, Europe now its largest export market

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
China’s cell capacity reached 198GW in 2021, up almost 50%. Image: Jinko Solar

China is expected to add 83 – 99GW of PV capacity every year from 2022 to 2025, while Europe is now its largest export market for solar products, according to a China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) report on the outlook for the PV industry over the next few years.

China’s PV industry continued to surge in 2021 despite COVID-19 complications, with exports reaching a record high, according to the CPIA report. For the first time, Europe represented China’s largest PV export market, although precise export figures were not provided.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The CPIA predicts that China will add between 232GW and 286GW of solar up to 2025, with 83 – 99GW set to be deployed in 2022. This is an upgrade on previous predictions made in the middle of last year.

While new installed capacity in China during 2021 was below expectations at the beginning of the year, it still reached a record high, with distributed solar accounting for more than 50% of total installs, said the report.

The output value of solar products from Chinese producers was RMB750 billion (US$118.7 billion) in 2021. Wafer output from China was 227GW, representing a 40.7% year-on-year growth, while solar cell output grew 47% on 2020 to reach 198GW. Module output from the country was up by 46% to 182GW.

Meanwhile, there have been new entrants to the polysilicon market in China. Baofeng Energy is planning 600,000 tons of production capacity, Qinghai Lihao is looking to develop 200,000 tons of production capacity, Jiangsu Runyang is aiming for 100,000 tons and Xinjiang Jinnuo is seeking 100,000 tons.

That said, the top five leading polysilicon, wafer and module companies’ production accounted for more than 80%, said the CPIA report.

The output of polysilicon in 2021 was 505,000 tons, up 28.8%, it added.

Additional reporting by Carrie Xiao.

10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

Premium
June 9, 2025
N-type polysilicon prices have dropped to RMB34,000/ton as the project installation rush ends, putting cost pressure on the industrial chain.
June 6, 2025
ElectraNet has revealed that renewables supplied 100% of South Australia's electricity demand for 27% of 2024, roughly 99 days.
June 5, 2025
Investment in clean energy and grids will reach US$2.2 trillion in 2025, double the expected investment into fossil fuels this year, according to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
June 5, 2025
US renewable power developer Invenergy has commissioned the 250MW Hardin III Solar Energy Center in the US state of Ohio.
June 4, 2025
Chinese PV module manufacturer Haitai Solar has announced the termination of a 10GW TOPCon and the reallocation of investment to fund an Indonesian facility.
Sponsored
June 3, 2025
Tongwei Solar talks innovation, growth, sustainability and future technologies in the global solar PV sector.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
June 17, 2025
Napa, USA
Upcoming Webinars
June 30, 2025
10am PST / 6pm BST
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece