Boost For European Clean Tech Manufacturing

The European Commission's (EC) 3^rd call for large scale projects under the Innovation Fund has selected among others, Meyer Burger, Midsummer and NorSun as winners in the clean tech manufacturing category, while most projects picked represent hydrogen and energy storage industries.

The trio representing solar PV technology industry were among 11 project winners in the Clean Tech Manufacturing Category that altogether won €800 million of the €3.6 billion shelled out under the 3^rd round, as against €3 billion announced (see €3 Billion For Innovative Clean Tech Projects In EU).

Here's a quick look at some of the winners in the solar PV manufacturing segment:

• Meyer Burger (Industries) GmbH has been selected for its High-Efficient Onshore PV module production in Europe or HOPE project. According to the EC, Meyer Burger is planning to establish a manufacturing plant for high performance cells and modules in Europe, which could be Germany and/or Spain. It will introduce new innovative heterojunction (HJT) technology for longer-lasting modules. The management had earlier hinted at GW-scale European expansion for its cell and module capacity to be funded by the 3-digit million range it was seeking under the Innovation Fund (see Meyer Burger To Expand US Module Manufacturing Capacity).
• Midsummer has secured EU support for its DAWN project under which it plans to build a 200 MW production plant for lightweight, flexible thin-film solar cells and panels, using copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) technology, in Sweden.
• NorSun of Norway gets to have its SunRISE project funded under this round. The solar wafer producer intends to build and operate an ingot and wafer manufacturing plant using 'highly innovative and state-of-the-art technology'. The factory will use automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to help reduce costs and improve global competitiveness. Wafers produced at this plant in Norway will have a much lower environmental impact, the company states. NorSun operates a 1 GW fab in Norway which it aims t expand to host up to 5 GW capacity (see NorSun Secures EPD For Low Co2 Footprint Wafers).

A total of 8 projects under the Decarbonization category won the largest chunk of €1.4 billion, followed by 13 projects securing almost €1.2 billion in the Industry Electrification and Hydrogen segment.

Additionally, 9 Mid-sized Pilots bagged a cumulative of €250 million which includes AGC Glass Europe that won for its Volta project wherein it plans to build a hybrid mid-sized pilot furnace for flat glass.

Details of the 41 projects selected and their winners are available on the European Commission's website.  

Apparently Spain's Iberdrola has not made the cut in this round for its 1.6 GW solar module manufacturing plant (see 1.6 GW Solar Panel Manufacturing Fab In Spain).

According to the EC, some other promising but insufficiently mature projects will receive project development assistance from the European Investment Bank (EIB), but an official announcement will be released in Q4/2023.

Enel Green Power (EGP) was one of the winners of the 1^st Innovation Fund for large projects for its 3 GW HJT fab in Italy, while REC Group made it to the list of 2^nd round for its 2 GW HJT factory in France (see REC Group's French Plans Win EU Funding). However, REC has not accessed the awarded funds (see REC Group's French Heterojunction Factory Plans 'On Hold').

The EC has increased its budget for the 4^th Innovation Fund round to €4 billion. It will be announced at the end of 2023.