China has proposed new export controls on 12 technologies used in solar equipment manufacturing, citing national security concerns as part of a broader review of restrictions covering artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
The country’s Ministry of Commerce announced the proposal in a statement on Friday, saying tighter oversight was necessary because solar technologies were increasingly being used in sensitive sectors, including aerospace and national defence.
Chinese officials had previously held preliminary discussions with manufacturers about possible restrictions on advanced solar-panel manufacturing technologies, Reuters reported in April. The proposed controls could affect expansion plans by US companies such as Tesla, which is seeking to increase its solar production capacity in the United States.
China has also restricted exports of solar manufacturing technology to India, according to previous Reuters reports. Analysts say Beijing is seeking to protect its dominance in the industry as India works to expand domestic production and reduce its reliance on Chinese technology.
The Ministry of Commerce said the proposed restrictions were intended to prevent sensitive technologies from being transferred or used improperly while allowing legitimate international cooperation to continue.
The ministry said export restrictions aim to “guard against the risks of technologies from running out of control or being improperly disseminated, while safeguarding normal international exchanges and cooperation in science and technology.”
Under the proposed arrangements, exporters must register certain overseas technology transfers until the export-control catalogue is formally updated. Public consultation on the proposal is scheduled to close on November 15.
The technologies China proposes to prohibit from export include those used to manufacture certain thin wafers, perovskite solar cells, tandem solar cells and large-scale fluidized-bed polysilicon production systems.
Perovskite is an emerging solar technology with the potential to improve energy-conversion efficiency. Tandem solar cells combine perovskite and silicon layers to capture a wider portion of the sunlight spectrum, potentially increasing the amount of electricity generated.
China also plans to prohibit exports of certain fluidized-bed technologies used to produce polysilicon, a key raw material for solar panels. The process is generally less expensive and more energy-efficient than the dominant Siemens method.
However, the proposal would restrict rather than completely ban exports of some advanced solar-cell manufacturing technologies, including Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon), Heterojunction Technology (HJT) and XBC solar-cell technologies.
The proposed measures could have implications for international solar manufacturing as countries seek to expand domestic production and reduce dependence on Chinese technology and equipment.
