Longi Solar – Xianglin Dong – 2022

Goals

In 2021, LONGi announced its plan to develop the first “zero-carbon plant” at the Baoshan manufacturing site by 2023. In addition, LONGi intended to achieve zero carbon within the Baoshan plant’s operational boundary and realize the three 100 targets by using 100% renewable electricity, completing energy efficiency technology retrofit projects and purchasing CCERs or other offset units.

However, the project has encountered a number of challenges, such as the availability of green electricity certificates and methane leakage. Moreover, LONGi intends to launch a second batch of “zero-carbon plants”, the location of which is yet to be determined. My job is to provide the best way for developing a “zero-carbon plant” at the Baoshan manufacturing site and, based on the analysis, to select other sites for the next “zero-carbon plant”.

Solutions

It is suggested that LONGi further work on the technical challenges of natural gas recovery. In the meantime, the relevant departments shall strive for 100% electricity from hydropower plants, so as to achieve carbon reductions by calculating Scope 2 emissions directly based on the hydropower emission factor (0.005), which is a low-cost solution to achieve zero carbon. Furthermore, although unlikely, the possibility of certifying hydropower as green electricity would minimize the cost to zero.

Three manufacturing sites were recommended as the new zero-carbon plant manufacturing sites for LONGi’s future “Zero-Carbon Plant 2.0″.

Potential Impact

This option would allow LONGi to build its first “zero-carbon plant” in Baoshan in the most viable and cost-effective way, with a total carbon offset cost of approximately RMB 400,000. The selection of the second batch of plants for the  “Zero-Carbon Plant 2.0” project would enable LONGi to achieve carbon neutral and zero-carbon manufacturing across its operations in four dimensions: across the entire industry chain, nationwide, through all possible pathways and in new and old plants.