KAIYUAN SECURITIES·2025-08-12 02:17Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Positive" (maintained) [1] Core Viewpoints - The demand for float glass is expected to remain high due to accelerated urban renewal and national subsidies stimulating renovation needs, despite fluctuations in real estate construction [5][14] - The photovoltaic glass sector is facing significant supply-demand imbalances, with rapid capacity expansion leading to price declines and potential production line adjustments to mitigate losses [6][21] - The soda ash industry is under pressure from new capacity additions, with low-cost natural soda ash processes likely to emerge as dominant in the future [7][28][50] Summary by Sections 1. Glass Capacity and Soda Ash Demand - Urban renewal and renovation needs are projected to sustain float glass demand, with a significant increase in housing renovation expected as older properties reach their lifespan [5][14] - The apparent consumption of flat glass is expected to grow by 3.80% in 2024, despite a decline in real estate construction area [14][19] - The soda ash apparent consumption is projected to reach 35.23 million tons in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 13.49% [27] 2. Photovoltaic Glass Sector - Photovoltaic glass capacity has surged from 11.73 million tons in 2020 to 44.77 million tons in 2024, marking a 281.64% increase [21] - The price of photovoltaic glass has decreased from a peak of 26.5 yuan per square meter to 18.5 yuan per square meter due to oversupply and inventory pressures [21][24] - The profitability of photovoltaic glass companies is declining, leading to potential production line adjustments to reduce losses [6][21] 3. Soda Ash Industry Dynamics - The soda ash industry is facing significant new capacity pressures, with multiple projects expected to come online, including 2.8 million tons from Boyuan Chemical and 5 million tons from Zhongyan Chemical [7][28][46] - The cost of production for different soda ash processes as of August 1, 2025, is 1,246 yuan/ton for the ammonia-soda process, 1,395 yuan/ton for the solvay process, and 679 yuan/ton for the natural soda process, indicating that only the natural soda process remains profitable [28][46] - The natural soda process is expected to dominate the global soda ash market due to its cost advantages and the U.S. holding 99% of the world's natural soda resources [47][50]