Energetica India Magazine May - June 2026

FEATURE STORY 40 Chart: Chinese Solar Exports Source: China Solar Exports Data, Ember China’s solar exports surged to a record 68 GW in March 2026. Chinese solar ex- ports hit record highs across several re- gions, with 50 countries registering their highest-ever monthly imports and an- other 60 posting six-month peaks. Afri- ca emerged as one of the fastest-growing markets, with imports soaring 176 per- cent month-on-month to 10 GW, while shipments to Asia doubled to 39 GW, setting new records for both regions. Together, Asia and Africa account- ed for nearly 75 percent of the overall rise in Chinese solar exports. India led the growth in Asia with imports rising 141 percent over February 2026 levels, followed by Malaysia and Lao PDR, which posted sharp gains driven by ac- celerated renewable energy deployment. In Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia each crossed the 1 GW import mark for the first time in a single month, largely through procurement of solar cells. Source: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Besides the fossil fuel turbulence, Chi- na’s abolishment of the 9 percent ex- port tax rebates on solar photovoltaic products from April 2026 also contrib- uted to this sharp spike in exports. Battery exports from China, too, wit- nessed strong growth as nations ex- panded investments in energy storage infrastructure to support rising solar deployment and shift daytime renew- able electricity into evening peak de- mand periods. China’s battery exports climbed 44 percent month-on-month to reach USD 10 billion in March 2026, with especially strong demand coming from the European Union, Australia and India, all of which have large-scale battery energy storage pipelines under development. Solar PV Supply Chain: The Chinese He- gemony According to International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates, China ac- counts for over 80 percent of global energetica INDIA- May-June_2026