Producing photovoltaic panels in Europe: current situation and prospects for the sector

Today, Europe produces approximately 4.5 GWp of photovoltaic modules across the manufacturing chain, while it installed more than 41 GWp in 2022.

This difference of 36.5 GWp speaks volumes about our dependence on other producing countries, particularly in Asia.

At a time when the need for energy sovereignty is becoming evident, isn't this a necessary evil that helps raise awareness?

Last December, the European Union launched the creation of the European Solar PV Industry Alliance (ESIA), whose main mission is to promote industrial initiatives in the sector across Europe and to channel EU funding towards them.

In terms of figures, its objectives are colossal: produce 30 GWp on European soil by 2025 (tomorrow), creating 400,000 industrial jobs.

On the same subject, it is undeniable that the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act), enshrined in US law last August, has catalyzed the dynamics of re-industrialization in Europe.

An event that went unnoticed at the end of 2022 also illustrates the major risk for Europe if it does not react commensurate with this IRA.

Last December, REC Solar, previously awarded a European grant as part of the European Innovation Fund call for tenders for the construction of a heterojunction photovoltaic module gigafactory in France, announced that it was "suspending its plans due to various changes in market conditions" ".

And when we look at the European map of the industrial photovoltaic sector, we can see both the extent of the work to be done and the many reasons for optimism it offers.

If we consider the whole of the European Union plus Norway, we count 1 polysilicon manufacturer, 3 ingot and wafer manufacturers, 4 cell manufacturers and 54 photovoltaic panel manufacturers (encapsulation).

The Wacker company, the only polysilicon manufacturer on the old continent, is a benchmark in the sector. It produces 60,000 tonnes of pure silicon, enabling the downstream production of more than 20 GWp of wafers/cells.

The problem: nearly 80% of its production is exported to the Asian continent, to be transformed into PV modules which will then be imported into Europe.

A ridiculous operation that requires a takeover by Europeans and their manufacturers.

Similarly, the mapping of the actors in charge of the next stage, the production of ingots and wafers, requires urgency: there are only three operators left, including two in Norway and one in France, where the historic Photowatt still has special furnaces and mastery of the corresponding industrial processes.

A know-how that, more than ever, it is time to preserve and perpetuate.

The many initiatives that have emerged over the past few months on the old continent are essential in this regard, and we must collectively support them.

As ambitious as projects such as that of the Carbon company, for example, may seem, they are only a realistic reflection of what we absolutely must accomplish.

In terms of For photovoltaics, as for the entire energy transition, boldness is no longer an option, but a necessity!