Germany seeking proposals for 10 GW of solar factories

The German Ministry Ministry for Economic Affairs (BMWK) has launched an expression of interest process to invite solar module manufacturers to set up manufacturing facilities in Germany.

The government aims to allocate investment subsidies (capex) through the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF), subject to budget availability and European Commission approval. The objective is to establish a 10 GW production capacity along the PV value chain.

Projects must meet specific criteria, including a minimum annual production capacity of 2 GW, module efficiency over 24%, and annual degradation below 0.2%.

Soldering processes are not allowed in production, and manufacturers must demonstrate a CO2 footprint below 18 grams of CO2/kWh based on service life.

The use of antimony-free solar glass is required, with lead, bismuth, and nitrogen classified as prohibited critical raw materials.

The US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has intensified pressure on the German government and the EU Commission to provide more financial support for the domestic solar industry, leading some companies to consider favoring investment decisions in the United States, where both capex and opex funding are available.