GCL Technology Holdings Co., Ltd. ("GCL Tech", Stock Code: 3800.HK) published its 11th Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, 2023 ESG Report on 29 April. Unlike in the past, SGS was commissioned by GCL Technology for the first time to conduct an independent assurance on its ESG report, which significantly increases the credibility and transparency of the report.
This report contains many annual performance data, of which the environmental data is particularly striking. The report states that in 2023, GCL Technology took the initiative to move away from Siemens' polysilicon production capacity and focus entirely on its low-carbon granular silicon products. Although effective production increased by 122% during the year, energy and water consumption decreased significantly: energy consumption density decreased by 24.21%, water consumption density decreased by 48.31% and greenhouse gas emission density decreased by 15.08% compared to the previous year. In addition, the company completed carbon emissions verification for five of its subsidiaries during the year, marking the first year of GCL Technology's carbon emissions reduction journey.
GCL Technology has strictly adhered to the listing rules and the Environmental, Social and Governance Reporting Code of The Hong Kong Stock Exchange and continuously improved its ESG performance management, with the Sustainable Development Centre as the leading department, covering all major functional departments of management centers and bases. In order to improve ESG management, GCL Technology established the Sustainability Management Committee and Sustainable Development Centre in 2023 to develop and improve the ESG governance structure of governance, management and execution levels and promote the integration of ESG work and operations. We have established a comprehensive management process to enable effective top-down communication and implementation, integrate ESG concepts into the entire value chain and improve ESG management levels.
Based on the call for green development from a global perspective, GCL Technology promotes the development of green solar materials and makes the unremitting pursuit of the twin goals of "cost" and "quality" its development principles. Since 2011, GCL Technology has invested a total of more than RMB 20 billion. We have continuously developed our products and achieved success with the development of granular silicon. In 2021, GCL Technology's granular silicon was launched in batches and obtained a carbon footprint certificate issued by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME). The carbon emissions per kg of granulated silicon are only 37 kgCO2e. This value is not only far below the industry standard, but also breaks the previous world record of 57.559 kgCO2e, which was set by the German company WACKER.
In 2023, GCL Technology introduced the "Horse Race Model" to promote continuous breakthroughs between different sites and increase the speed of iteration. The total energy consumption of GCL Technology's fluidised bed rector granular silicon has decreased to 13.8 kWh/kg, and the average manufacturing cost has decreased by 27% compared to the end of last year, bringing huge cost and carbon emission benefits. In 2023, GCL Technology produced a total of 203,000 tonnes of granular silicon. Compared to the production of rod-shaped silicon, carbon emissions were expected to reduce by 5 million tCO2e equivalent. The report states that in 2023, GCL Technology aimed to improve customer satisfaction, the "always customer-centric" quality policy was implemented and established a comprehensive quality management system, and achieved a series of remarkable results. In terms of product quality, the proportion of products with a total metal impurity content of 5 elements = 0.5 ppbw has increased to about 75%, and some bases were close to 90%. This kind of product can fully compete with the dense N-type composites on the market; the proportion of granular silicon products with 18 elements and a total metal impurity content of =1 ppbw has increased to 43%, an increase of nearly 90%, with remarkable results.
In 2023, GCL Technology founded the Global Silicon-based Materials Research Institute and led the official release of the new version of the national standard "FBR Granular Silicon". The institute consists of four R&D branches, a research center and a design center in the U.S. Aiming to achieve innovative breakthroughs in processes, equipment, materials and other dimensions, explore new avenues for energy technology development and research silicon-based materials other than polysilicon. Further cutting-edge technologies are planned for the future development of GCL technology.
It is worth mentioning that GCL Technology continues to support its supply chain partners and has officially released the GCL Technology Supply Chain Corporate Social Responsibility Code of Conduct. The company actively cooperates with customers' needs and connects the upstream and downstream to create a low-carbon, clean and sustainable photovoltaic supply chain system. 01/05/2024 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News. |
