纯碱供需承压，低成本的天然碱工艺或将脱颖而出

Group 1: Industry Overview - The apparent consumption of soda ash in 2024 is projected to be 35.23 million tons, representing a year-on-year increase of 13.49% [1][3] - The demand for soda ash may significantly slow down in the future due to the continuous losses in photovoltaic glass, which could lead to a slowdown in production capacity growth [1][3] - The glass demand is expected to remain high due to urban renewal and state subsidies stimulating renovation needs, particularly in the second-hand housing market [2] Group 2: Supply and Demand Dynamics - The rapid expansion of photovoltaic glass production capacity has led to a supply-demand imbalance, with the capacity increasing from 11.73 million tons in 2020 to 44.77 million tons by 2024, a growth of 281.64% [3] - The soda ash industry faces significant pressure from new production capacity, with several projects expected to come online, including 2.8 million tons from Boyuan Chemical and a 5 million ton project from Zhongyan Chemical [4] - The cost of production for different soda ash processes is as follows: 1,246 RMB/ton for the Solvay process, 1,395 RMB/ton for the ammonia-soda process, and 679 RMB/ton for the natural soda process, indicating that only the natural soda process is currently profitable [5] Group 3: Future Outlook - The natural soda process is expected to emerge as a dominant method in the global soda ash market due to its lower production costs and the U.S. holding 99% of the world's natural soda resources [5] - The industry anticipates that the demand for soda ash will face further pressure as the production capacity of photovoltaic glass decreases, while the supply side still has significant new capacity coming online [4][5]