Plans are already advanced
Europe’s only solar cell manufacturer threatens to relocate
6/13/2023, 6:04 p.m
Germany was once the leader in photovoltaic technology, but then green technology was neglected. Right now, when the boom in balcony power plants and the like has started, Europe’s only solar cell manufacturer is toying with the idea of emigration.
According to a media report, the only solar cell manufacturer in Europe is threatening to relocate production to the USA. The Swiss company Meyer Burger, which manufactures its solar cells in Thalheim in Saxony-Anhalt, wrote to the FDP Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner, as reported by the news portal ZDFheute.de. The company cites the massive subsidies from the US government as the reason.
“In the USA, the red carpet is being rolled out for us to set up new plants and sell solar modules,” ZDF quoted today as saying from the letter. And: “We have already found suitable building complexes.” Meyer Burger currently employs 350 people in Thalheim. The production capacity should actually be increased from the current 1.4 gigawatts per year to 3.4 gigawatts by the end of 2024. By 2027, it is expected to increase further to around 15 gigawatts per year. According to ZDF, the company is now questioning this expansion.
The US government’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) subsidy program provides billions in support for companies that locate the manufacture of future technologies such as car batteries, wind turbines or solar cells in the USA. The EU and its member states therefore accuse Washington of protectionism and fear that companies will relocate. “For one gigawatt of solar cells and solar modules in the USA you get $110 million a year – by 2029,” said Meyer Burger CEO Gunter Erfurt to ZDFheute. Just a few years ago, the Swiss plant manufacturer invested 145 million euros in two new factories for solar cells and modules in Germany.
Photovoltaic boom in Germany
In Germany, sales of photovoltaic systems have increased massively in recent months, mainly due to the popularity of so-called balcony power plants. The federal government wants to remove several hurdles for this and could fuel the boom even further. For example, a tenant’s right to operate such a system is being considered.
The mini power plants are available at ever lower prices on online trading platforms or in supermarket chains – they are often made in China.