Carbon has announced the decision to end its solar PV gigafactory project in France
It said the absence of adequate market conditions in Europe made the project unviable
Carbon stated that a stronger demand for European-made solar products and supportive industrial policies are needed for the industry’s resurgence
Even before it could take off, French solar startup Carbon has decided to end its GW-scale solar PV manufacturing project after more than 4 years of development efforts.
The company said the move reflects the current absence of sufficient market conditions in Europe to support the emergence of a competitive regional solar manufacturing industry.
“Without sufficiently established prospects to commit the additional resources needed, we have therefore made the decision to end the project. A difficult choice, but one made inevitable by the absence of conditions allowing it to succeed,” it stated.
Carbon announced plans in 2022 to build a large-scale solar manufacturing project in Fos-sur-Mer, France, with an initial annual capacity of 5 GW, expandable to 15 GW by 2030. Supported by the Becquerel Institute and ISC Konstanz, the project aimed to produce TOPCon and IBC solar cells and cover the full solar production chain from silicon ingots to finished modules using European silicon (see 5 GW Solar Module Fab Plans For France).
The company said it aimed to manufacture reliable, durable, high-efficiency, and low-carbon solar products in France while supporting Europe’s energy independence, industrial development, and ecological transition. It tried raising funds via crowdfunding for a 500 MW module assembly plant, adjusting its strategy, but it wasn’t enough (see France’s CARBON To Raise Up To €2.5 Million Through Crowdfunding).
The project depended on strong and long-term policy support to create a dedicated market for European-made solar products. This also required financial support to cover higher initial production costs, which was hard to come by due to ‘persistent divergence’ among member states despite the interest in rebuilding Europe’s solar manufacturing sector.
The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), adopted in 2024, focuses on diversifying supply chains rather than giving preference to European manufacturers. Similarly, the Industry Acceleration Act (IAA) further widened the definition of Made in Europe to include countries with EU Free Trade Agreements such as Turkey, Vietnam, and India. Yet there is no preference for European production until 2030 (see Draft Industrial Accelerator Act: Prioritize Made-In-EU Solar Inverters & Cells).
“The legislative process continues, but there is currently no visibility on the emergence of such a market: neither its timeline, nor its scope, nor its rules. It will take at least another year, with no guarantee that the legislation will ultimately enable the establishment of a truly sovereign market,” explained Carbon in a statement.
The above-mentioned reasons, in the face of increasing Chinese competition, have forced several European solar PV manufacturers to call it quits, including some of the leading names such as Systovi in 2024 and Meyer Burger in 2025 (see French Solar PV Module Manufacturer Shuts Down Operations and Meyer Burger Files Insolvency For 2 German Subsidiaries).