European solar cell and module maker Meyer Burger is set to shut down its solar module production fab in Germany's Freiberg, having distributed notices of termination to some 400 employees. The company stopped production on location since mid-March 2024.
According to local German broadcaster MDR Sachsen, the employees are scheduled to be laid off at the end of April 2024. Meyer Burger is also in talks with around 100 more employees to move to other locations. The company had previously announced in January 2024 that shutting down the German module fab will impact close to 500 employees (see Meyer Burger May Shutter German Module Fab By April 2024).
TaiyangNews reached out to Meyer Burger to confirm the development, but are yet to hear back as of the time of this report going online.
Meyer Burger has been vocal about the lack of financial support for local manufacturers in Germany that face the negative impacts of cheaper Chinese solar panels flooding the European markets. Its decision of shutting the module fab for good was hinging on the German government's decision on offering resilience bonus under the Solar Package I to projects using locally-produced solar components.
The German solar industry association BSW Solar has put its weight behind the demand as well, arguing that this would help make domestic solar factories internationally competitive. It rejects the idea of imposing tariffs on imported solar products.
The industry's demand for resilience bonus has also been met with opposition from within the German solar industry as companies like 1KOMMA5° and Enpal are against the same (see German Solar Manufacturing Industry Bracing For A Change?).
However, according to local media reports, the German Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner has confirmed that the domestic solar industry will not get large subsidies. Lindner's party FDP reportedly announced that the resilience bonus will not come, dashing Meyer Burger's hopes.
Meanwhile, Meyer Burger has secured shareholder approval for its rights issue of around CHF 200 million to support the expansion of its US production and distribution structures.