On April 27, Erik Solheim, former UN Deputy Secretary-General, Chairman of the International Coalition for Green Development on the Belt and Road, and Co-Chair of the EU-Asia Center, along with his delegation, visited Tongwei for an exchange. Liu Hanyuan, Chairman of the Board of Tongwei Group, a deputy to the National People's Congress, and Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, warmly received the delegation and held a discussion. Huang Qigang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of Tongwei Group, and Qiu Aisong, Financial Director of Tongwei Co., Ltd., accompanied the visit.

Secretary-General Solheim and his delegation successively visited the Tongwei Global Innovation R&D Center, Tongwei Photovoltaic Science and Technology Museum, and the Group Experience Center, gaining a comprehensive understanding of Tongwei's achievements in photovoltaic technological innovation, intelligent manufacturing, and green development. At the Tongwei Global Innovation R&D Center, Xing Guoqiang, Chief Technology Officer of Photovoltaics at Tongwei Co., Ltd., provided a detailed introduction to the delegation regarding Tongwei's R&D progress in technologies such as TOPCon, heterojunction, back-contact, copper interconnection, and perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem cells. Upon learning about Tongwei's self-developed PECVD technology leading the way in TOPCon cell manufacturing, as well as Tongwei's breakthroughs in the mass production R&D and validation of heterojunction and perovskite-crystalline silicon tandem technologies, Secretary-General Solheim and his delegation highly praised Tongwei's technological innovation capabilities.

Secretary-General Solheim and his delegation visit the Tongwei Global Innovation R&D Center and Tongwei Photovoltaic Science and Technology Museum to learn about Tongwei's technological innovation and intelligent manufacturing.

Secretary-General Solheim and his delegation visit the Group Experience Center to learn about Tongwei's photovoltaic new energy industrial chain.

During the discussion meeting, both sides engaged in in-depth exchanges on topics including the development of China's photovoltaic industry, global energy transition, and industrial expansion overseas. Secretary-General Solheim stated that he has participated in the China International Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Industry Conference for three consecutive years, continuously witnessing the rapid development of China's photovoltaic industry. Through this on-site visit to Tongwei, he has gained a more intuitive and genuine understanding of the technological leadership and intelligent manufacturing capabilities of Chinese photovoltaic companies. Currently, the world is at a historical turning point. For the past 200 years, a country's development could only rely on fossil fuels, but now, for the first time in history, there is an alternative development path—photovoltaic power generation, which is driving a significant decline in the proportion of fossil fuels. In the past, discussions may have focused more on climate issues such as environmental protection and carbon emissions, but now the focus is on energy security. Faced with volatile markets, every country desires energy independence. In this process, China has contributed to the world a cost-effective and large-scale photovoltaic industry. Tongwei's cumulative shipments of solar cells have surpassed 400 GW, more than the combined capacity of some developed countries, marking a milestone. He extended congratulations to Tongwei and China's photovoltaic industry. He hoped that through this visit and exchange, the strength of China's photovoltaic industry could be showcased to the world, and the advantages of China's photovoltaic industry could be leveraged to assist more countries and regions in their energy transition and economic development.

Chairman Liu Hanyuan holds a discussion meeting with Secretary-General Solheim and his delegation.

Chairman Liu Hanyuan welcomed the arrival of Secretary-General Solheim and his delegation and stated that over the past 44 years, Tongwei has witnessed and participated in the great journey of reform and opening-up, as well as the rise of China's photovoltaic industry. After years of development, China has built the world's largest power system, with installed capacity approaching 4 billion kilowatts and annual electricity consumption exceeding 10 trillion kilowatt-hours. Among them, photovoltaic and wind power generation account for about half of the total installed capacity and provide nearly one-third of the power sources. It is expected that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China's renewable energy installed capacity will account for more than 90% of the annual new installed capacity. At this pace of development, China will achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 to 2060, or possibly even earlier. In this process, Chinese manufacturing will become an indispensable force in the energy transition of developed countries such as Europe, the United States, and Japan, as well as in the future energy system construction of underdeveloped regions such as Africa. As Secretary-General Solheim mentioned at the photovoltaic and energy storage conference, China's photovoltaic industry is a tremendous gift from China to the world.

Group photo for memory.

Chairman Liu Hanyuan stated that since the Industrial Revolution, the development and utilization of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas have driven technological progress and created unprecedented material wealth. It is clear that energy, as the core driving force, propels human society and economic development. Therefore, participating in and promoting the rapid development of the photovoltaic industry will provide humanity with the confidence and foundation to no longer rely on fossil fuels for energy transition in the next 20 to 30 years. Instead, photovoltaic power generation will provide the driving force needed for future development and truly achieve a virtuous cycle of ecological environment and sustainable development. In this process, Tongwei is willing to engage in candid dialogue and exchanges, share its thoughts and ideas, and jointly promote the global energy transition. Meanwhile, Chairman Liu Hanyuan extended an invitation to Secretary-General Solheim to attend the 9th China International Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Industry Conference to be held in Chengdu in November this year.

Since 2023, Secretary-General Solheim has attended the China International Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Industry Conference in Chengdu for three consecutive years, sharing insights and highly acknowledging the important contributions of China's photovoltaic and energy storage industries to the global green transition. He has provided a new international perspective for scientifically and rationally analyzing the development of China's photovoltaic and energy storage industries, with his insightful views receiving widespread attention from all sectors of society. The 9th China International Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Industry Conference will be grandly held in Chengdu from November 17 to 20, 2026. We look forward to Secretary-General Solheim and prominent guests from home and abroad joining us to share wisdom and jointly envision a sustainable future for humanity.