EC approves creating solar industrial alliance to bolster manufacturing

The European Commission (EC) this week approved the Solar Photovoltaic Industry Alliance initiative that is designed to facilitate the manufacturing of innovative solar products in the EU, contributing to more solar energy and a more resilient energy system in the bloc.

“With the alliance's support, the EU could reach 30 Gigawatt of annual solar energy manufacturing capacity by 2025 across the full PV value chain,” said single market commissioner Thierry Breton.

The solar industrial alliance is included in the EU Solar Energy Strategy, which is part of the REPowerEU Plan and calls for over 320 GW of newly installed photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the EU by 2025 and almost 600 GW by 2030.

The EC’s approval means a call for membership in the alliance can be published in November, with its launch expected by the end of 2022.

The alliance will group various solar sector stakeholders such as industry representatives and research institutes and will provide an action plan for the solar industrial value chain in Europe. It will work with the EU and member states on a wide range of areas, including research and innovation, raw materials, access to finance, off-takers and international partnerships.

The EC will partner with EITInnoEnergy to create the alliance, following the successful model of the Batteries Alliance.

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