Europe’s solar photovoltaic (PV) industry is on track to surpass the EU’s 30 gigawatt (GW) annual PV manufacturing capacity goal by 2025, according to the European Solar PV Industry Alliance (ESIA). The alliance, launched by the European Commission and supported by EIT InnoEnergy as secretariat, SolarPower Europe, and the European Solar Manufacturing Council, has unveiled projections indicating that Europe could exceed the target in polysilicon production, ingots, cells, and modules manufacturing. The findings were shared during the ESIA’s comprehensive action plan presentation at Intersolar Europe in Munich. The plan, developed in less than a year since the alliance’s establishment in December 2022, combines expertise from over 120 organisations across 17 European countries to address key areas such as non-pricing criteria, supply chain challenges, financial instruments, and skills. A crucial aspect of the action plan is improving international supply chain competitiveness, focusing on energy costs, sustainability, recycling, and traceability. An analysis has been completed to bridge the gap in European PV value chain operating and capital expenditure costs compared to other regions. This analysis will serve as the basis for exploring potential financial instruments to stimulate growth. Kerstin Jorna, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs at the European Commission, stressed the importance of regulatory reforms to facilitate the expansion of net zero technologies, with solar PV playing a vital role in enhancing the EU’s energy resilience and competitiveness. The recently updated Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, coupled with the upcoming Net Zero Industry Act, will provide support for investments across net-zero supply chains, she added.
