LONGi Sustainability Report 2022: Wafer products achieved industry-leading results on carbon emission levels

• LONGi drives the company’s decarbonization efforts and used 4.2 billion kWh of renewable energy in 2022, accounting for 47.18% of its total energy consumption.
• Global carbon reduction accelerated by producing 290 GW of photovoltaic products since 2012.
• Assessment program for suppliers screening environmental and social performance initiated.
• First carbon-free plant in Baoshan to be completed in 2023

LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd, a global leading renewable energy company, presented its achievements in sustainability and ESG during the Intersolar 2023 and published its 6th Sustainability Report.

LONGi drives the company’s decarbonization efforts

The sustainability report 2022 shows, LONGi used 4.2 billion kWh of renewable energy in 2022, accounting for 47.18% of its total energy consumption, an increase by 40.19% compared to 2021. By using green power, LONGi has reduced 2.43 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions throughout 2022. This is equivalent to planting 135 million trees. The company has also improved energy management and saved a total of 607 million kWh of electricity and 9.59 million tons of water. 

“Carbon neutrality is a global consensus and needs collective efforts, in particular at managerial level. In 2022, we have therefore extended our internal Strategy Committee to a Sustainable Development Committee, strengthened the Board’s involvement in ESG matters, and established the Sustainable Development and Climate Action Office to embed sustainable development into daily operations”, commented Nick Wang, LONGi’s Vice President for DG in Europe.

Global carbon reduction accelerated by producing 290 GW of photovoltaic products since 2012

LONGi has been empowering its own sustainable growth through innovation-driven technology development. Since 2012, LONGi has produced up to 290GW of PV products in total. These renewable energy products could generate up to 1.148 million GWh of clean energy. Based on the global emission factor by the International Energy Agency (IEA), LONGi’s products have helped reduce 536 million tons of carbon emissions globally.

Wafer products achieved industry-leading results on carbon emission levels

LONGi invested 7.14 billion yuan (1.07 bn US-Dollars) in R&D in 2022, accounting for 5.54% of the yearly revenue. The company’s global R&D team has grown to 4,036 members of staff. LONGi’s innovation power enabled the company to break the world record for PV cell conversion rates 7 times in 2022 alone. It also ensured that LONGi’s entire silicon wafer product lines have obtained the French carbon footprint ECS certification, covering the carbon emission level throughout the entire life cycle of silicon wafers, from raw materials, manufacturing, and shipping to storage. LONGi’s wafer products have achieved industry-leading results on carbon emission levels, especially on wafer pulling and slicing.

“Facing severe risks brought by climate change, we have developed a sound emission reduction policy according to global standards and pushing forward the RE100, EV100, and EP100 initiatives. Additionally, we integrated the concept of green development into the whole lifecycle management taking green and clean energy as the main operational source”, said Nadine Bütow, LONGi’s DG Sustainability spokesperson for Europe.

LONGi initiated assessment program for suppliers screening their environmental and social performance 

LONGi has been actively promoting sustainable development concepts among its key stakeholders and paid high attention to the sustainable development of its suppliers, including issues related to environmental impacts, social welfare, health and work safety, and commercial ethics. The company has established a screening and monitoring for all new suppliers. In 2022, new suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria reached 83%, while new suppliers that were screened using social criteria reached 100%.

In 2022, LONGi provided over 100 training sessions on green carbon to its suppliers, helped its suppliers to conduct carbon monitoring and set carbon reduction goals. LONGi engaged with 481 of its suppliers on energy conservation and carbon reduction management.

Multilateral and scientific cooperation remains corner stone of innovation

LONGi has renewed its commitment to building a collaborative global platform with international experts. Only recently, LONGi debuted its “STAR Innovative Ecological Cooperation Platform”. The global platform will focus on the development of PV innovation technology and serve as an enabler for building a coalition of international experts from science, industry, academics, and civil society and foster open sharing, innovation and mutual exchange. Its mission is to promote innovation trends, gathering global ideas, integrating solutions, connecting high-quality resources, and promoting technological innovation in the global photovoltaic industry to build a world-leading green energy ecosystem.

“Embracing an open ecosystem to foster global photovoltaic innovation for the next decade and beyond is another important step towards carbon neutrality. At LONGi we are convinced that through connecting with industrial partners, universities, research institutes, PV-startups and civil society, we can create an alliance that enables us to drive the solar-led energy transformation in the light of an increased energy demand and the most urging global crisis – the climate crisis”, added Nick Wang.

LONGi plans to complete first carbon-free plant in Baoshan in 2023

In 2021, LONGi initially announced the plan to convert the plant in the Yunnan province into its first “Zero-Carbon Plant” by 2023, increasing the use of renewable power to 100% for day-to-day manufacturing and operations. For LONGi, the Baoshan base is one of the most important bases in the upstream manufacturing segment of the PV industry chain. LONGi’s measures induced reducing emissions in scope 1 and 2 has led to a use of green electricity by the Baoshan base of 99.09%.

Additionally, LONGi is building green plants, deploying digital energy management systems, and continuously promoting energy conservation and consumption reduction as planned to enhance the energy utilization efficiency. In 2021, the unit consumption of PV products made in the LONGi Baoshan plant reduced the carbon footprint by over 8%. As of now, LONGi has completed greenhouse gas accounting for its Baoshan base within Scope 1 and Scope 2 of its operations and has obtained a carbon verification certificate.

Please visit https://www.longi.com/en/sustainable-development/ for the full report.

About LONGi and LONGi Solar

LONGi Solar is one of the world’s largest solar technology companies ranking first in global module shipments since 2020. It is a subsidiary of LONGi Green Energy Technology (LONGi) which was founded in 2000. LONGi has more than 60.000 employees, 30+ locations and 30 manufacturing sites globally. LONGi Europe is headquartered in Frankfurt. a. M. The company established five business sectors covering mono silicon, wafers cells and modules, commercial and industrial distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions and hydrogen equipment to support global zero carbon development. Since 2021, LONGi has broken the photovoltaic (PV) cell conversion efficiency record 14 times in a row. In 2022, LONGi set a new world record of p-type HJT silicon solar cell efficiency at 26.81% certified by the German Institut für Solarenergieforschung (ISFH) Institute for Solar Energy Research) in Hameln. More info: www.longi.com

Media Contact

Nadine Bütow, Head of European Communications, nadinebuetow@longi.com

Timo Helmke, PR Manager Europe, timohelmke@longi.com