China's Solar Photovoltaic Glass Manufacturing Is Expanding Its Operations Overseas.

London, February 4th (Argus) - The Chinese solar photovoltaic glass market will face continuous pressure from oversupply and weak domestic demand starting from 2026. However, as manufacturers establish overseas manufacturing operations to serve the local solar supply chain, the global market is undergoing changes.
Currently, the solar supply chain in China is oversupplied, leading to low prices of photovoltaic modules and panels, which have depressed the prices of raw materials such as polysilicon. Chinese photovoltaic glass producers such as Irico Group and Triumph New Energy have reported net losses, and it is expected that this year's profit margins will continue to be under pressure.
But manufacturers are expanding their solar panel glass production capacity in Southeast Asia, India, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States to meet demand outside of China.
Photovoltaic glass uses a series of metals, such as titanium and zirconium-based oxides, as well as indium tin oxide in surface coatings and antimony compounds used in glass melts. Glass accounts for 8-12% of the cost of solar components.
The investment in the Middle East aims to localize the solar supply chain in the region and expand power generation capacity in the region based on the long-term energy transition strategy while reducing reliance on imports. Southern Glass (CSG) plans to establish a glass factory in Abu Dhabi by the end of 2026, Almaden plans to build a 500,000-ton solar glass factory by 2027. Southern Glass Holdings also plans to build a glass factory with a daily output of 1,400 tons in Egypt, aiming to serve domestic solar projects and export markets from 2027-28.
Chinese manufacturer Yingli Solar launched a 360,000-ton/year solar module glass factory in Indonesia last month, which can fully meet the demand of 800 megawatts. This project is part of the company's plan to build photovoltaic material production capacity in Southeast Asia and nearby markets.
The Indonesian government requires that solar panel components have 40% local content and has announced a plan to develop a $4 billion polysilicon industry. But other regions continue to crack down on Chinese manufacturers' evasion of anti-dumping taxes by manufacturing products in Southeast Asia.
For example, the Indian Ministry of Finance has extended the anti-subsidy tax on Malaysian solar glass imports for three months. The tax was originally due to expire in March 2026. The Ministry of Commerce is considering Borosil Renewables' request to continue imposing anti-dumping taxes.
Meanwhile, the Indian government's budget last weekend cancelled the import tax on antimony acid sodium, supporting the profit margins of domestic glass manufacturers and solar producers in India. Antimony acid sodium acts as a clarifying agent in solar glass to eliminate bubbles and improve transparency.
The United States also plans to establish a domestic solar supply chain to enhance supply security and limit Chinese imports.
At the end of last year, the US Department of Agriculture provided a $16.4 million loan to Stewart Glass for the transformation of a former General Electric manufacturing plant in Ohio into a solar glass factory. The factory is planned to start operations in March and will produce 150 tons/day of ultra-transparent fully tempered solar glass with anti-reflective coatings, using higher purity titanium dioxide and zirconium dioxide.
Solarcycle, headquartered in the United States, has obtained more than 80% of the production capacity of its planned glass factory's customer contracts, reflecting strong demand for domestically manufactured solar components.
Solarcycle began operating its recycling plant in Georgia last week, which uses a process to recover 96% of the value from solar panels, including silver, copper, aluminum, glass, and other important minerals. The plant is located next to the planned 5GW solar glass manufacturing plant, enabling it to recover materials from scrapped panels for remanufacturing. The company will start construction in 2026 and begin glass production in 2028.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that solar energy will drive the growth of U.S. electricity generation in the next two years. Approximately 70 GW of new solar power capacity is planned to come online in 2026 and 2027, an increase of 49% compared to the end of 2025. This capacity will require components produced in the United States or "friendly" jurisdictions.
The revised purchase agreement between Homerun Resources and Sengi Solar indicates that the same localization trend has emerged in Latin America, with trade measures and downstream demand beginning to support the production of photovoltaic glass closer to home.