At the Ningxia factory of PV manufacturer TCL Zhonghuan, energy-saving and carbon-reducing initiatives are not just goals—they’re a daily reality. The facility harnesses the power of photovoltaic modules spread across its roof, ensuring a steady supply of clean electricity for the park.
Waste heat generated by the single crystal furnace is repurposed through a water-source heat pump, transforming it into hot water to heat both the production and office areas. Meanwhile, a 100% response rate for cleaning edge material has been achieved through technological advancements in material washing and furnace upgrades.
Ningxia Crystal Wisdom Factory of TCL Zhonghuan is currently the world’s largest and most advanced monocrystalline silicon production base. Last October, it was recognized as a national-level intelligent manufacturing demonstration plant.
In addition to its technological prowess, the plant is committed to sustainability. It operates as a green factory with goals to achieve zero gas-liquid discharge, a comprehensive industrial solid waste utilization rate exceeding 98%, and a water usage rate surpassing 50%. Moreover, the facility’s energy consumption per kilogram of product leads the industry by more than 20%, while also relying entirely on renewable electricity.
According to a key official, the plant has been deeply integrated with ESG standards from the design stage, aligning with a zero-carbon target. Throughout its established production and operation processes, the facility strives to minimize energy consumption, alter its energy consumption structure, and increase the use of green power. The goal is to build an efficient, clean, low-carbon, and circular green manufacturing system, setting a global benchmark for zero-carbon factories.
In addition, TCL Zhonghuan is creating a green park at its Ningxia production base, centered on “green manufacturing, green power supply, and green energy development,” to achieve sustainable operations. The company is also working to strengthen and green its supply chain through initiatives like green production, management, logistics, packaging, and recycling, aiming to promote sustainable development across the entire industry chain.
Beyond the Ningxia base, TCL Zhonghuan is actively advancing green and low-carbon transformations at its other facilities. The company has incorporated the construction of green power parks into its strategic planning, with a commitment to stabilizing photovoltaic power supply, grid, load, and energy storage, and building a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient energy supply system—effectively creating clean energy powered by clean energy.
With more than 85% of global carbon emissions stemming from energy activities, expanding renewable energy use and optimizing energy structures are critical to achieving carbon reduction goals. By 2023, TCL Zhonghuan has reached a milestone in this effort, achieving 100% coverage of photovoltaic distributed power generation systems across the roofs of all its production bases, generating an annual total of 103,354 MWh. Additionally, eight of its subsidiaries have received the Green Factory Certificate, covering 57% of its operations.
TCL Zhonghuan has committed to using “100% renewable electricity” as a cornerstone of its sustainable development strategy and as a long-term goal for its production and operational energy consumption. The company is currently expanding its photovoltaic power plant business nationwide, with plans to establish plants with a combined capacity of over 4GW by 2027. These plants will directly supply power to its production bases in Inner Mongolia and Ningxia.
Carbon reduction at its production facilities is another key aspect of TCL Zhonghuan’s broader carbon reduction strategy. In July of last year, the company publicly announced its zero-carbon commitment, aiming to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality across its operations by 2050.
TCL Zhonghuan is also focused on reducing fossil fuel usage and increasing the proportion of green energy in its operations. It plans to achieve carbon neutrality through seven major carbon reduction pathways, including energy-saving technological reforms, green transportation, rooftop PV systems, integrated energy solutions, self-owned power plants, green power purchases, and carbon credit offsets.
The company’s 2023 ESG report highlights its commitment to sustainability, detailing 35 energy-saving and consumption-reduction projects completed last year. These initiatives, with an investment of 152 million yuan, resulted in savings of 65.45 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 65.9 million cubic meters of natural gas.
Source: TCL Zhonghuan, aircon, QQ
