Anhui Glass Furnace Electrodes: The Photovoltaic Glass Corridor and a High Electric Boosting Ratio

Anhui's operating photovoltaic glass daily melting capacity is about 16,300 tons, more than a fifth of the national total, with Fengyang, Wuhu, Bengbu and Tongcheng each playing a distinct role: Fengyang uses local quartz sand for ultra-clear rolled glass, Wuhu's Jiangbei area hosts large photovoltaic bases, and Bengbu and Tongcheng lean toward ultra-thin electronic glass, pharmaceutical glass and specialty glass. The dual requirement of low iron content and uniformity in photovoltaic rolled glass pushes electric boosting to a high ratio, with provincial electric melting penetration at about 55%. Here molybdenum electrodes are both a consumable and part of the process parameters, a category with pronounced electric boosting intensity within regional applications.

Fengyang: How the Quartz Sand Advantage Translates into Electrode Configuration

Fengyang is one of the few high-quality quartz sand concentrations in China; local supply makes raw material costs 15%-20% lower than purchased-in material, which is the fundamental reason photovoltaic glass capacity concentrates here. The raw material advantage, combined with controllable energy costs and proximity to the East China module market, makes the area a lower-cost region for photovoltaic glass. In process terms, photovoltaic furnaces generally use oxy-fuel combustion with a high electric boosting ratio, with electric boosting accounting for 25%-35% of total melting heat load, and some new lines are higher. Under this configuration, a 1,200 t/d photovoltaic furnace has a large installed electrode count, and electrode layout and power distribution need to be aligned with the furnace operator at the design stage. Photovoltaic rolled glass is sensitive to transverse temperature differences in the melt flow, so electrodes are mostly arranged in zones along the flow channel and the waist; deviation in a single electrode's power shows up as striae on the sheet surface, and electrodes are usually replaced in groups by zone to avoid mixing old and new.

Bengbu and Tongcheng: The Implicit Standards Brought by Technology Output

Bengbu's value lies not only in capacity but in process output. Process packages prepared by local glass research institutes are adopted by many glass companies nationwide, covering everything from ultra-clear rolled glass to pharmaceutical glass, and from electronic substrates to thin-film solar glass. Whatever electrode specification is written in the design documents is often what customers purchase, and this implicit influence is more enduring than any single order. Tongcheng's ultra-thin electronic glass and pharmaceutical glass lines are small in tonnage, but their requirements for electrode purity and dimensional precision are not low, making them typical small-batch, high-requirement orders.

The Volume Logic Under Cold Repair Cycles

Anhui has about 15-20 photovoltaic furnaces; per-furnace consumption is large but the number of furnaces is limited, so photovoltaics account for a limited share of total consumption. Container glass, pharmaceutical glass and other small and medium furnaces are numerous, and together they add up to more. In 2026 the photovoltaic glass industry suffered deep losses, with gross margin at one point falling to -16.57%; customers became more price-sensitive and payment terms stretched from 90 days to 120-150 days. Fortunately, a cold repair itself brings full-set replacement, and restarts often come with a higher electric boosting configuration, so demand does not decline in step with capacity.

When dealing with Anhui customers, the key is contract structure: local buyers generally use an annual framework plus quarterly price negotiation and require density, hardness and resistivity test data for each batch, so suppliers need to prepare warranty documents in advance. On the product side, entering photovoltaic and float furnaces through categories whose details are already well understood is a practical approach. The neighboring Jiangsu market shares the East China module supply ecosystem with Anhui, so cross-province price comparisons can be made directly.

Note: capacity, consumption, price and other data in this article are compiled from public sources and industry exchanges; statistical definitions and timeliness may change. They are for industry reference only and do not constitute a basis for procurement or investment. Official information released by competent authorities and enterprises prevails.