Europe nonetheless hosts some photo voltaic module manufacturing capability, however it has only a few photo voltaic ingot, wafer and cell fabs.
Picture: Yanni Koutsomitis/Flickr
European photo voltaic producers will want 42 occasions extra annual PV cell manufacturing capability if the European Fee’s raised ambitions are to be met with Made in Europe merchandise. US analysis agency Wooden Mackenzie this week launched that determine as an instance how threadbare Europe’s photo voltaic manufacturing trade is.
The fee has acknowledged an ambition to drive a minimum of 420 GW of latest photo voltaic era capability this decade, in a bid to wean the bloc off Russian gasoline. WoodMac has estimated Europe will provide round 331 GW of latest photo voltaic by 2031 and this week stated the fee’s “RePower EU” plans have the potential to double that determine.
Nonetheless, the Edinburgh-based analysis agency identified that “nearly all” of the 60,000 kilotons of photo voltaic panel uncooked materials polysilicon it says Wacker Chemie produces annually is exported to China as a result of there’s inadequate demand in Europe. Preserving Wacker product in Europe would require 10 occasions extra close by ingot and wafer manufacturing capability, 21 occasions extra cell manufacturing traces, and thrice extra photo voltaic module capability, WoodMac estimated.
It stated hitting the raised ambition outlined by the fee would require thrice extra annual polysilicon manufacturing capability, 20 occasions extra wafer traces, 42 occasions extra cell output, and 6 occasions extra module functionality. Photo voltaic panel uncooked materials prices drove panel costs up greater than 20% in 2021, in keeping with WoodMac. It stated the polysilicon worth has trebled within the final 18 months and is predicted to remain “elevated” all through 2022.
Aluminum, copper, and metal costs have all risen greater than 30% prior to now 12 months, in keeping with WoodMac. The price of photo voltaic panel glass can be rising, it stated, attributing the will increase to escalating pure gasoline and tin costs.
The fee’s plans to cut back dependence on direct Russian gasoline provides could possibly be helped, paradoxically, if the gasoline worth rise driving photo voltaic glass prices is partially alleviated by Russia following via on just lately introduced commitments to change euro provide offers to China.
