【By Guan察者网, Ruan Jiaqi】
"Our business spans 55 countries around the world, and energy projects in 52 of these countries are using photovoltaic components and related equipment produced in China. The coverage includes the United States, India, Middle Eastern countries, as well as African and Southeast Asian regions."
When discussing China's leading position in the entire value chain of renewable energy, Arif Aga, a director at global renewable energy engineering consulting firm SgurrEnergy, told Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.
According to Hong Kong media on the 13th, this renewable energy technology consultant frankly stated that the core logic of the global green energy transition has never been about geopolitical games, but rather practical economic realities. For many countries seeking to develop clean energy, the practical need to reduce costs has always been their top priority.
It is precisely this reality that has established China's leading position in the global clean energy supply chain. Aga pointed out that China's massive manufacturing capacity and rapid technological iteration have jointly driven significant cost reductions in the industry, undoubtedly becoming a key driver of the global energy transition.
Public information shows that Aga plays a key role in SgurrEnergy's strategic layout in the Asian market. By focusing on China and India, two of the fastest-growing markets for renewable energy globally, he has helped SgurrEnergy evolve from a UK company primarily focused on wind energy consulting into a global technology consulting leader covering solar energy, energy storage, and hybrid energy.
After decades of industry experience, Aga believes that China's central role in the green energy technology revolution will be long-lasting.
"Any country that wants to increase the proportion of renewable energy use and reduce its carbon footprint must rely on a partner with mature experience," he emphasized. Only such a partner can ensure the long-term stable operation of energy projects.
China, exactly, is such an excellent partner. Aga further said that the current speed of technological change is extremely fast, and mature participants in the industry have more advantages, both meeting the requirements of technological iteration and integrating the design concepts of technological innovation into energy system construction.
"With the continuous expansion of production capacity, China's leading position in this area is undoubtedly going to remain for a very long time," he added.
Regarding external pressures, Aga spoke frankly, stating that geopolitics is only a temporary issue, which relates to politics and politicians, but "the situation will eventually be different."
On September 15th, Dunhuang's first 100MW high-tech molten salt tower CSP power station in Jiugquan, Gansu Province. Visual China
According to the introduction, SgurrEnergy is part of the global leading engineering and consulting company Wood PLC, headquartered in the UK, with its main operating center located in Pune, India. Focusing on the Asian market, Aga revealed to Hong Kong media that his company has participated in the construction of the first renewable energy projects in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that Southeast Asia has become the largest photovoltaic component production center outside of China in 2024. Direct investments by large Chinese manufacturers are accelerating local photovoltaic production expansion.
Aga stated that China occupies a dominant position in the entire value chain of renewable energy, covering every aspect from raw material supply to technological innovation. He summarized some of the cooperation models of renewable energy projects as "China supplies, Southeast Asia implements."
Aga mentioned that his company's business scope is broad, covering not only the design and construction of solar, wind, and energy storage projects, but also the testing work of photovoltaic component factories. This has given him firsthand experience working with Chinese photovoltaic component manufacturers. He revealed that approximately 60% of the company's testing business is concentrated in Chinese factories, while India accounts for 35%.
"China's participation and contribution in the renewable energy sector are remarkable," Aga commented, "The core advantage of Chinese companies lies in their large-scale production capacity of products like photovoltaic components."
He further explained, "As a consulting institution, we propose a large number of technical improvement suggestions to help companies reduce costs. The response speed and execution efficiency of Chinese companies to these suggestions are unmatched by others. I really haven't seen any other country's companies achieve this."
In Aga's view, this ability to quickly apply technological improvements is closely tied to the vast scale of China's manufacturing industry. "With its large-scale production advantages and higher revenue, Chinese companies have the capability to drive various technological upgrades, which is commendable," he added.
Aga emphasized that reducing costs has always been the core task of green energy projects. "The full-cycle implementation cost of renewable energy projects must be lower than that of traditional energy, only then can the energy transition process be truly promoted."
"As global citizens, we all hope to protect the Earth and build a green home. But what is the cost of achieving this goal? Ultimately, all issues will come down to the word 'cost'."
Interestingly, a report released last month by the UK-based think tank Ember also confirmed this viewpoint. The report pointed out that Chinese clean technology "is becoming the foundation of the new energy system, with continuously declining costs driving growth at an unprecedented rate, especially in emerging economies."
Data shows that in August, China's green technology exports reached a record of $20 billion. With China lowering the prices of batteries, photovoltaic solar panels, and other renewable technologies, sales of these products have surged in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
Solomon Hsiang, director of the Stanford University Global Policy Lab and former chief environmental economist at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, recently expressed similar views. He believes that China's innovation breakthroughs and large-scale manufacturing capabilities have made it easier and less costly for low-income countries to transition to clean energy.
"Now, China provides an alternative — cheap renewable energy, making it much easier for other countries to adopt cleaner technologies," he said during a session at the 2025 Hong Kong Sustainable Development Forum. "What China has truly achieved is making it easier for other countries to do what they wanted to do but could not due to cost issues."
In Solomon Hsiang's view, addressing climate change is like "a long marathon," and China is expected to become the "global teacher" in solving this "century problem."
He said, "Even if China completes its own energy system transformation within 20 years, other countries still need assistance, whether in terms of technology or funding. Part of leadership is about steadfastness and vision, and China is playing a significant role. The US has stepped back from the leadership role. Fortunately, China has taken up the role in certain aspects."
Discussing the encirclement and suppression of China's clean technology by the US and Western countries, Solomon Hsiang also expressed concern, saying, "If China also retreats due to excessive focus on competition... this could cause serious disruptions, and ultimately everyone will suffer."
Xu Xinfu, a director of the China National Energy Group, previously stated in Johannesburg, South Africa, that as a member of the Global South, China has built the world's largest and most complete new energy industry chain, contributing about 70% of photovoltaic components and 60% of wind power equipment to the world, and taking concrete actions to help the world achieve green, low-carbon, and sustainable development.
"The effectiveness of China's South-South Cooperation on climate change is visible, tangible, and effective, and has been welcomed by many developing countries," Li Gao, vice minister of China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, introduced at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on December 5th. To date, China has signed 55 memorandums of understanding on South-South Cooperation on climate change with 43 developing countries, helping other developing countries improve their capacity to respond to climate change through cooperative construction of low-carbon demonstration zones, and implementing mitigation and adaptation climate change projects. At the same time, many related training programs have been carried out, with over 300 sessions of capacity-building projects implemented, providing more than 10,000 training opportunities for over 120 developing countries.
Li Gao stated that China will continue to promote the construction of low-carbon demonstration zones, focusing on developing flagship projects of South-South Cooperation such as "Africa's Light Belt", "Clean Stoves", and "Early Warning of Meteorological Disasters". It will also continue to hold capacity-building training sessions on topics such as multilateral climate negotiations, transfer of renewable energy technologies, carbon market construction, transparency compliance, and climate financing, continuing to provide support within its capabilities for developing countries.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/7583287920870605355/
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