In 2023, driven by the global energy transition and China’s “dual carbon” goals, the photovoltaic (PV) industry experienced explosive growth. As the “skeleton” of PV power plants, the solar mounting system sector entered a fast lane of development. According to QYR statistics, global sales of solar PV mounting systems reached US$14.73 billion in 2023. Against this backdrop, H‑beam steel piles – valued for their high construction efficiency, environmental friendliness and recyclability – saw a highlight moment for domestic substitution and large‑scale application.

“Small Mounts” Enabling a “Big Future”: JX Steel Leads the Domestic Steel Pile Market

In 2023, Hebei JX Steel became a standout player in the field of steel pile solar mounts. As a leader in the production and R&D of H‑beam steel piles, JX Steel focused on green new energy trends. Its H‑beam steel pile PV mounts, starting from scratch, quickly captured 35% of the domestic market. The products have been used in nearly 100 ultra‑high‑voltage projects in Japan, the United States, the European Union and other countries and regions.

Compared with traditional concrete pile technology, JX Steel’s new product integrates the underground steel pile and the above‑ground mount into a single unit, greatly reducing installation steps. It offers low cost, high strength, a small footprint and reusability, effectively solving the problems of traditional concrete piles: on‑site pollution, high water consumption, long construction times and difficult recycling. Beyond product innovation, JX Steel has also “added eyes” to its mounts, allowing them to track the sun – significantly improving the power generation efficiency of solar panels.

While actively expanding in the domestic market, JX Steel accelerated its overseas footprint. In October 2023, JX Green Building Technology showcased its PV mounting steel H‑piles at the Solar Show KSA in Saudi Arabia. Tailored to the hot, dry, sandy climate of the Middle East, the company actively promoted the use of H‑beam steel in PV mounting systems for that region. Today, JX’s sales network covers China as well as eight other countries and regions, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Oceania, the Americas and Europe.

Full Automation and Industrial Park Expansion: Regional Manufacturing Bases Ramp Up Capacity

In 2023, the PV mounting industry saw a wave of smart manufacturing and capacity expansion across China. On April 8, the region’s first fully automated new‑energy PV structural material production line went into operation in Jiuyuan District, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia. Built by Inner Mongolia Juncheng Xingye Pipeline Co., the line operates at an industry‑leading level of automation: from coil unwinding, roll forming and punching to finished product cutting, the whole process takes less than ten minutes, delivering products with excellent sturdiness and low error margins. The project has a total investment of RMB 1 billion. When fully completed, it will have an annual capacity of 500,000 tons, providing strong support for large PV bases around Baotou.

In Northwest China, Xinjiang Ruiyang Technology Development Co. also performed impressively. As the only Xinjiang‑based company awarded the bid for the China Green Power Ruoqiang 4 GW PV project, Ruiyang completed the fourth phase of its plant in 2023, investing nearly RMB 700 million in high‑precision, high‑efficiency production equipment. Daily output can reach 400 tons. Chairman Yang Chengjie said that in 2024 the company plans to produce 200,000–300,000 tons, achieving an output value of nearly RMB 1 billion, and will use the policy advantages of the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone to expand into Central Asian markets, taking its products abroad.

From Land to Sea: Breakthroughs in Offshore PV Steel Pile Technology

In 2023, PV mounts extended their application scenarios from land to the open sea. In May, China’s first nearshore pile‑fixed offshore PV project – the SPIC Shandong Energy Haiyang HG34 nearshore pile‑fixed offshore PV key technology research and demonstration project – was completed. Planned for a total installed capacity of 2.7 GW, it is currently the world’s largest and one of China’s first nearshore pile‑fixed offshore PV projects. The project adopts a steel pipe pile + fixed steel truss structure, using high‑strength, corrosion‑resistant weathering steel for the PV mounts. The weathering steel’s durability is 2–8 times that of ordinary steel, laying a technical foundation for large‑scale offshore PV development.

Around the same time, Weifang Dongfang Steel Pipe Co. was invited to speak at the 2023 China Offshore PV Conference. Dr. Chen Shibo, the company’s Deputy General Manager, gave a presentation titled “Development and Application of Anti‑Corrosion Technology for Offshore PV Steel Pipe Piles and Mounts,” addressing key technical challenges such as wave resistance and salt‑spray resistance, and proposing a series of innovative solutions.

Accelerated Deployment of Trackers in 2023: Many Projects Realised

In 2023, the use of tracking mounts in large‑scale ground‑mounted PV plants accelerated significantly, becoming an important lever to increase power generation efficiency. In December, the Huanhua Qinghe County 280 MW agro‑PV complementary project was fully grid‑connected. The project uses an innovative horizontal single‑axis tracking system. The PV mounts, like sunflowers, actively analyse and identify the optimal tracking angle, increasing power generation by approximately 10%. It is also the largest plain‑area horizontal single‑axis tracker demonstration project within Huaneng Group.

In addition, the “Steed Power Station” in Dalat Banner, Inner Mongolia, boldly adopted both horizontal and tilted single‑axis tracker forms, achieving an average daily increase of about 15% in power generation compared with fixed mounts. Leading mount manufacturers such as Arctech, Trina Solar, Antai Energy and Weguan Solar also won numerous domestic and international tracker orders in 2023, exporting their products to the Middle East, Latin America, Europe and other markets.