On October 11, 13 European solar head enterprises' CEOs jointly issued a joint letter urging the EU to increase investment in the PV infrastructure industry, strengthen the strategic layout of Europe's solar industry and energy security, and break the single-region supply pattern of China.

 

 

 

 

The letter highlights a recent special report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on the solar PV chain, which reports that China has invested ten times more in new PV supply capacity than Europe since 2011. China's share in all PV module manufacturing stages exceeds 80%. This raises concerns among European new energy companies that the supply chain is too concentrated in a single region.

 

 

The concerns of European head energy companies such as FirstSolar, BayWar.e. and MeyerBurger are well-founded. According to research by Tide Power Intelligence, seven of the TOP 10 global PV module shipments in 2021 are Chinese manufacturers, with Europe's FirstSolar ranked 5th in the world, the best ranking a foreign PV module manufacturer can achieve.

 

 

The letter also mentions the United States and India. The U.S. enacted the "Inflation Reduction Act" in the new energy industry, providing a clear and practical financial expenditure on operating costs, the bill is expected by the end of 2030, 50GW of PV modules will be manufactured by U.S. domestic manufacturers (China's Longi Green Energy in 2021 PV module capacity, it reached 60GW); India recently released the same second round of incentive program guidelines, the guidelines aimed at India has also recently released its second round of incentive program guidelines, which aim to increase PV module capacity by 65GW.

 

 

 

 

The joint letter points out that global competition in the solar PV value chain outside Europe has already started, and that the development of a strong European solar manufacturing chain could reduce dependence on imports and change the landscape of the PV industry chain. It will also significantly reinforce the European Commission's energy security objectives and is a necessary preparation for the EU's green and digital transformation.

 

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)