European Solar Aims For 30GW Of Manufacturing Capacity By 2025

The European Commission has launched the European Solar Photovoltaic Industry Alliance to promote investment in the EU solar manufacturing sector. Launched with industry players, research institutes, associations and other interested parties, the alliance has approved a target of 30GW of European manufacturing capacity across the value chain by 2025.

According to trade body SolarPower Europe, reaching an annual capacity of 30GW would supply around 75% of Europe's annual solar panel requirements. This capacity will also support the industry by creating more than 100,000 jobs in manufacturing alone and support around one million jobs focused on installing and maintaining solar panels.

Innovation Group EIT InnoEnergy, one of the founders of the European Solar Initiative, which is the basis of the newly formed alliance, has been appointed as the secretariat of the EU Solar PV Industry Alliance and joins the steering committee of the alliance together with SPE and the European Solar Manufacturing Council.

Just as we have done for batteries through the work of the European Battery Alliance, we will now do for solar PV, using our strong industrial value chain blueprint and stakeholder network to enable the rapid development of manufacturing projects across the solar PV value chain for the benefit of EU citizens, said Diego Pavia, CEO of EIT InnoEnergy.

The Alliance's list of priorities will be to mobilise private and public funding for domestic manufacturing of solar PV projects to expand capacity, ensure a sustainable level playing field and stimulate demand for sustainable PV products. It will also implement eco-design requirements for PV systems and products, and launch an academy to explore the skills needed for manufacturing.

Building domestic manufacturing capacity within the EU will be key to the region achieving the target set by REPowerEU to reach 320GW of solar deployment by 2025. SPE Policy Director Dries Acke said the EU Solar PV Industry Alliance is an important recognition of the importance of building solar panels in Europe. It is the growth of the European manufacturing story. The alliance means that money can go to the right projects, but if we don't have a dedicated solar fund for the alliance, we will be cut off at the knees.

The European Commission launched the Alliance with its endorsement in October 2021 and has since launched a public call to bring together industry players, research institutions, consumer associations, NGOs and other stakeholders with an interest in the solar PV industry. In the period between the European Commission's endorsement and the launch of the Alliance today, many players in the solar industry have called on the EU to strengthen the solar domestic manufacturing ecosystem and take similar measures to those done so far in the US and India.