LAUNCH OF THE EUROPEAN SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC INDUSTRY ALLIANCE AND THE SYNERGIES WITH ETIP PV

On 9 December 2022, the European Commission launched the European Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Industry Alliance at a high-level conference in Brussels.

EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton hosted the conference and formally presented the alliance, followed by opportunities to discuss the main issues the alliance will address. A series of high-level speakers from across the solar PV industrial value chain, the European Investment Bank and EU countries featured in the panel discussions.

Peter Fath, the CEO of RCT solutions and a member of the steering committee of ETIP PV took part of the panel discussion on the Scale up challenges for manufacturing of solar PV in Europe.

In his speech, Peter Fath stated: “Innovation is very important to consolidate the European PV value chain, but Europe cannot dream to be immediately competitive only by setting up highly innovative factories because global competitors including China are also investing heavily in innovation. We need our factories to also propose a diverse portfolio of technologies and be ready to integrate innovation via the upgrade of the production line.”

In order to accelerate solar PV deployment in the EU, the new alliance will scale up EU manufacturing of competitive, innovative, and sustainable solar PV products as well as diversifying international PV value chain components and supply raw materials. As part of the strategic action plan, the ESIA will support the solar PV research and innovation.

As a signatory to the ESIA, ETIP PV is willing to provide its extensive expertise on fostering R&I in the EU PV value chain.

Rutger Schlatmann, the chair of ETIP PV sees the Alliance as a clear opportunity for PV to take a central role in the European energy mix of the future, but also to recreate a strong, viable and innovative European supply chain. ETIP PV is very well positioned and ready to take a leading role in defining and implementing the sustainability driven innovation agenda for PV in Europe, as one crucial element of the European Solar PV Industry Alliance.