The turnover of the Munich-based chemical company increased by 6%. The polysilicon business of Wacker Chemie also continued to increase last year; however, the production halt in the U.S. prevented even stronger growth.

Eon has announced plans to take over a 76.8% stake in the German utility, RWE’s renewable energy spin-off, Innogy. The acquisition is part of a far-reaching agreement between the two, which envisages redistributing operations so that RWE focuses on the renewable energy business, while energy networks and customer solutions would be the responsibility of Eon.

Tennessee’s relevant safety authorities have submitted their report on the hydrogen explosion at the polysilicon plant of the German manufacturer in Charleston. They demand US$25,400 in fines from Wacker Chemie for violations of various regulations. The manufacturer continues its efforts to resume production.

In addition to the manufacturing of its own modules, the German solar PV producer focuses primarily on OEM production. Negotiations are currently underway with two customers, which would lead to a significant increase in production volume this year.

The Chinese Ministry of Industry in Beijing has issued new guidelines for the solar PV industry. These urge Chinese manufacturers to invest at least 10 million yuan annually into research and development.

The Stuttgart-based group has dissolved its R&D joint venture with Japanese companies GS Yuasa International Ltd and Mitsubishi Corporation, instead opting for outsourcing battery cell production over in-house manufacturing.

Following an explosion at a U.S. production facility in 2017, the German polysilicon producer is under investigation by local authorities. Wacker Chemie must now pay a fine of US$20,000 for failing to comply with certain regulations regarding the provision of personal protective equipment and employee safety during maintenance work prior to the accident.

After a rather disappointing end to 2017, significantly more PV systems were installed in Germany in January. The market for ground-mounted systems up to 750 kW has also picked up speed. Solar FITs will remain unchanged in March.

In an interview with pv magazine, SolarPower Europe CEO, James Watson explains how the Clean Energy Industrial Forum (CEIF) set up by the EU is paving the way for a resurgence of the European solar industry. Representatives from politics and industry met last Friday in Brussels to discuss how to further proceed.

The company, which was one of Europe’s largest OEM module manufacturers, has decided to close its Polish manufacturing facility, due to an expected drop in demand.