European utilities, developers ask the EU to support creation of PV supply chain

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From pv magazine France

Akuo Energy, Amarenco, BayWa re, EDF Renouvelables, Enel Green Power, Engie, Iberdrola and Vattenfall Solar, brought together by SolarPower Europe, wrote, on January 26, to the European Commission asking for a European strategy aimed at strengthening the photovoltaic supply chain.

In their letter, the eight companies said that Europe will have to install 870GW of solar power by 2030 to be on the path to climate neutrality and added they are ready to deploy photovoltaic energy at a faster rate.

“We must commit to developing a European strategy for the solar photovoltaic value chain which will be approved by the competitiveness council in 2022,” wrote the signatories. “This is necessary to achieve the European Green Deal targets set by the European Commission.”

Pragmatic and progressive, such a strategy should include a comprehensive set of measures ensuring a level playing field for European industry, in line with the EU's approach to strategic autonomy.

Major EU partners such as India and the United States have already identified the solar PV industry as strategic and are reinvesting in this sector as strategic, and reinvesting in domestic manufacturing. Europe has many assets on which it can count: an industrial ecosystem and historical knowhow; a technological lead on the cells of the future, thanks to a dynamic research and innovation community; and a vibrant research and innovation community.

According to the eight signatories, if the measures are taken in time, a production capacity of 20GW can be redeveloped in Europe before 2030.

The industrial interest is there, and already, 2GW of cell manufacturing capacity has been redeveloped in Europe, financed mainly by the private sector.

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