China Controls 85% of Solar Supply Chain as US and Europe Push 2030 Catch-Up

3 articles · Updated · Okdiario · Jun 3

China now holds about 85% of global solar supply-chain capacity, including a 95% share of photovoltaic wafers—the clearest bottleneck in panel production.
More than $50 billion invested since 2011 helped China build dense, low-cost manufacturing ecosystems across polysilicon, ingots, wafers, cells and modules, according to the IEA.
That scale has cut solar PV costs by over 80%, making panels cheaper worldwide while leaving countries pursuing energy independence reliant on Chinese equipment.
The EU is targeting net-zero manufacturing capacity equal to 40% of annual deployment needs by 2030, while the US is backing new module plants through clean-energy incentives.
The IEA says the challenge is no longer just installing more solar panels, but securing resilient supply chains for a transition increasingly shaped by industrial strategy.

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China’s 90% Solar Dominance: 2024 Upheaval, Global Risks, and the West’s Race to Catch Up

Overview

Since 2024, China’s solar industry has faced intense upheaval, driven by rapid expansion after ambitious government climate targets were set in 2021. This led many companies, even those outside the traditional energy sector, to rush into solar panel production, causing a major oversupply. Fierce price wars and shrinking profit margins followed, forcing even top industry players to report losses. As a result, the market is undergoing significant consolidation and restructuring, with many firms exiting or merging. These changes are not only reshaping China’s solar sector but also sending ripple effects across global solar markets.

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