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PT_BR 
A global demand by systems of solar energy should surpass the 230 GW mark at the end of this year, according to a study recently released by PV InfoLink, one of the leading data research and consultancy companies in the renewable energy sector.
A high demand technology occurs and will occur above all, according to the study, due to the bold goals which have been incorporated in several countries around the world to achieve carbon naturalness, preferably, by 2050.
According to the research, strong demand is mainly supported by China, which launched several policies to support renewables over the past year, and also by markets in Europe and the United States.
“Anticipating higher-than-expected demand, the supply of polysilicon will continue to be an important factor that will affect prices throughout the supply chain this year”, highlights the study, noting that the component is the main raw material for manufacturing photovoltaic cells .
The PV InfoLink research also highlights that, since the second half of 2020, polysilicon prices have been on the rise across the planet and that, together with the unbalanced capacity in the supply chain and China's control of energy intensity, the prices of polysilicon reached US$ 42.00 per kilogram in 2021.
“Fat profits have attracted existing and new players to expand thousands of tons of capacity”, highlighted the study, which added that “polysilicon production will reach around 858,000 MT this year, which seems enough to supply 314 GW of modules”.
The document also highlights, however, that as it takes around six months for new capacity at polysilicon factories to come fully online, real supply will not grow as quickly.
“Meanwhile, excess capacity in the wafer segment leads to a higher than normal polysilicon inventory level. In this scenario, the supply of polysilicon will remain tight throughout the year”, concluded the consultancy company.
Supply chain
Since 2020, global logistics has suffered from the effects of the pandemic, which caused a lack of containers and capacity on vessels, delays in ship calls, congestion in ports and an increase in the price of Chinese sea freight.
Currently, a new wave of the health crisis has been affecting China, causing new problems for the supply chain, which was already under pressure. Even before the “lockdowns” caused by the pandemic, there was no longer any expectation of normalization of flows in 2022.
According to assessments recently released by the Chinese Government, around 200 million people and more than 20 Chinese cities would be under the effect of lockdown, with its entrances and exits blocked.
Faced with the new record of infections, authorities in Shanghai, for example, where the most important container terminals in the world are located, a series of measures to control Covid-19 were taken, causing interruptions in manufacturing and transport activities, causing pressure on the international logistics system.
