High-Quality Development of Silicon-Based Energy Materials Industry of China

Silicon energy is a new form of energy based on silicon materials and driven by semiconductor technology at its core. Silicon energy materials are strategic basic materials that support the green and low-carbon transformation of industries and the leap of high-end manufacturing. The related industries have become an important force in reshaping the global energy and materials landscape. Based on a comprehensive review of the current development status of China's silicon energy materials industry, this study identifies the technological development trend of the industry from the aspects of resource, smelting, material, and recycling ends, and analyzes the new situation and problems faced by the industry. Research suggests that China's silicon energy materials industry has considerable development potentials, reflected in its abundant resource endowment, solid industrial foundation support, optimized industrial layout, emerging synergy and agglomeration effects, expanded application scenarios, and good potential for demand growth. The industrial upgrading paths include (1) strengthening raw material guarantee to build a multi-pole support pattern; (2) coordinating industry, education, research, and application to achieve breakthroughs in key technologies; (3) further promoting green and low-carbon development to build a green power circulation system; and (4) accelerating the pace of intelligent transformation to consolidate the core advantages of manufacturing. This study is expected to provide a theoretical support for building a globally leading industrial system of silicon energy materials, and promoting the reconstruction of the energy system, upgrading of the manufacturing system, and leap in core competitiveness of China.