[SMM Hydrogen Energy Policy Express] Xi'an, Shaanxi Province: Notice on the Implementation Plan for Supporting the Capacity Enhancement of the PV Industry Chain (2025-2027)

The Notice states that by 2027, China aims to build a world-class advanced PV manufacturing base and establish a relatively complete PV industry chain, encompassing silicon wafers, solar cells, modules, inverters, system integration, PV ESS, PV hydrogen production equipment manufacturing, and related supporting industries.

It will promote the development of PV hydrogen production equipment. By capitalizing on the market demand for hydrogen production through PV power generation, enterprises will be encouraged to expand their industrial scale, enhance their R&D and manufacturing capabilities for hydrogen production equipment, and foster the growth of the PV hydrogen production equipment manufacturing industry.

Efforts will be made to strengthen core technology research. Support will be provided to PV enterprises focusing on new-type solar cell technologies such as back contact (BC), heterojunction (HJT), and perovskite, inverter enterprises concentrating on modular large-power technologies, ESS enterprises centering on high-power, long-duration ESS battery core technologies, and hydrogen energy enterprises emphasizing high-performance anion exchange membrane materials and self-supporting active materials for technological breakthroughs.

Taking advantage of the pilot construction of the comprehensive electrification of vehicles in the national public sector, a number of integrated "PV ESS charging" stations will be built in key scenarios such as highway passenger and freight hubs, highway service areas (parking lots), and gas stations. Additionally, a batch of PV hydrogen production, storage, and refueling stations will be explored and constructed in short-haul transportation scenarios for hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks.

The promotion of zero-carbon PV factories and parks will be prioritized. Leveraging the advantages of Xi'an's scientific and technological innovation resources, and drawing on the model of the Yulin Science and Technology Innovation City's demonstration project for constructing a zero-carbon distributed smart energy center using PV, hydrogen energy, and geothermal energy, 10 entities will be selected to carry out pilot construction of zero-carbon (low-carbon) factories and parks. This initiative aims to drive the application of low-carbon technologies such as distributed PV, hydrogen energy, smart microgrids, new-type energy storage, and aggregated green electricity supply, thereby forming replicable and scalable experiences and models.

The construction of new projects will be advanced. For new projects implemented by silicon wafer, solar cell, and module enterprises with a fixed asset investment of 5 billion yuan (inclusive) or more, rewards of up to 700 million yuan will be granted based on 10% of the fixed asset investment amount. For projects with a fixed asset investment ranging from 1 billion yuan (inclusive) to 5 billion yuan, rewards of up to 400 million yuan will be provided based on 12% of the fixed asset investment amount. For new projects implemented by inverter, ESS, hydrogen energy equipment manufacturing, and PV supporting enterprises with a fixed asset investment of 500 million yuan (inclusive) or more, rewards of up to 60 million yuan will be given based on 10% of the fixed asset investment amount. For projects with a fixed asset investment ranging from 100 million yuan (inclusive) to 500 million yuan, rewards of up to 50 million yuan will be offered based on 15% of the fixed asset investment amount. For projects with a fixed asset investment ranging from 20 million yuan (inclusive) to 100 million yuan, rewards of up to 10 million yuan will be provided based on 20% of the fixed asset investment amount.

Support will be given to the construction of technological transformation projects. For technological transformation projects implemented by silicon wafer, solar cell, module, inverter, PV supporting, ESS, and hydrogen energy equipment manufacturing enterprises with an equipment investment of 1 billion yuan (inclusive) or more, rewards of up to 150 million yuan will be granted based on 8% of the equipment investment amount. For projects with an equipment investment ranging from 100 million yuan (inclusive) to 1 billion yuan, rewards of up to 60 million yuan will be provided based on 10% of the equipment investment amount. For projects with an equipment investment ranging from 10 million yuan (inclusive) to 100 million yuan, rewards of up to 10 million yuan will be offered based on 15% of the equipment investment amount.

Reduce corporate financing costs. For fixed asset investment project loans granted to enterprises with positive operating revenue growth in the manufacturing of silicon wafers, {{solar cell}}s, modules, inverters, energy storage systems (ESS), and hydrogen energy equipment, loans of 100 million yuan (inclusive) or above will be eligible for interest subsidy awards of up to 10 million yuan, not exceeding 50% of the People's Bank of China's Loan Prime Rate (LPR) for the corresponding period.

Promote breakthroughs in core technologies. Support PV enterprises in conducting technological research on new-type solar cell technologies such as back contact (BC), heterojunction (HJT), and perovskite, inverter enterprises in researching modularized large-power technologies, ESS enterprises in researching core technologies for high-power, long-duration ESS batteries, and hydrogen energy enterprises in researching high-performance anion exchange membrane materials and self-supporting active materials. At least 10 technological research projects will be selected over three years, with each project receiving a maximum award of 3 million yuan.

Support the formulation of industrial standards. Support PV, hydrogen energy, and ESS enterprises in taking the lead in formulating international, national (industry) standards. Enterprises that take the lead in formulating international, national (industry) standards will be eligible for one-time awards of up to 1 million yuan and 500,000 yuan per standard, respectively.