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Demand for Copper in the Photovoltaic Industry

1. Demand Volume and Growth  

The photovoltaic industry is one of the significant sources of copper demand. According to forecasts, by 2025, the global newly installed capacity for photovoltaics will reach 390-430 GW (optimistic estimate), with corresponding copper consumption increasing from 920,000 tons in 2022 to 1.88 million tons, representing an annual growth rate of 26.9%. 

The development of new energy has significantly driven the growth of copper demand, particularly in fields such as electric vehicles, photovoltaics, and wind power. With the global energy transition and the advancement of carbon neutrality goals, copper, as a key conductive material, is increasingly being applied in these emerging sector

Tellurium copper alloys, known for their excellent conductivity and mechanical strength, have a wide range of applications in high-tech fields such as electrical contact materials, welding electrodes, switch contacts, and the sliding plates of pantographs in high-speed trains. In recent years, with the development of new energy, rail transportation, and high-end manufacturing industries, the demand for high-performance tellurium copper alloys has been increasing. Advances in alloy preparation technologies, such as the optimization of powder metallurgy and continuous casting and rolling processes, have improved the consistency and performance of the materials while reducing production costs.

Short-term Market Supply Changes: The cancellation of the export tax rebate policy may lead enterprises to accelerate exports before the policy takes effect, resulting in a phenomenon of concentrated export rush in the short term. This will have a certain impact on the supply of copper materials in the market, potentially leading to a temporary increase in domestic market supply, while the supply in the international market may become tighter.

On November 15, 2024, the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration of China jointly issued an important announcement, stating that starting from December 1, 2024, the export tax rebate policy for products such as copper materials, aluminum materials, and chemically modified animal, plant, or microbial oils and fats will be canceled. This policy adjustment affects 34 tax codes related to copper materials, including copper bars, rods, wires, sheets, foils, and tubes.

Copper alloys, as one of the earliest metal materials used by humans, play an important role in various fields due to their excellent physical and comprehensive properties.

Copper alloys are materials made by mixing copper with other elements such as zinc, tin, and aluminum. They possess high strength, high electrical conductivity, and good corrosion resistance.

With the continuous advancement of technology, the application of new materials is transforming our world. Among them, Tellurium Copper is gradually becoming a hot topic in the industrial and electronics sectors due to its unique properties as an alloy material.

From May 7 to 9, 2025, the highly anticipated International Battery Storage and Smart Energy Exhibition(the Smart E Europe) will be grandly held in Munich, Germany. This exhibition gathers top enterprises and innovative technologies from the global energy sector, providing a high-end platform for communication, display, and collaboration within the industry. As a leader in the field of new energy materials, Sichuan Kepai New Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Kepai") will showcase its latest research and development achievements at this event, exploring the future development direction of energy storage technology.