CARBON has reached an agreement with EDF Renewables to acquire French solar panels manufacturer Photowatt
The existing facility of Photowatt at Bourgoin-Jallieu will add a 500 MW module production unit
EDF has also committed to sourcing modules produced at the factory under a supply agreement
French solar PV manufacturing startup CARBON has signed a draft agreement with EDF Renewables to acquire another France-based solar PV manufacturer Photowatt. EDF Renewables’ parent, EDF Group, says it will support this French solar PV production with a supply agreement for PV panels.
To be known as Photowatt by CARBON, the former will secure a €40 million investment to create a 500 MW PV module production unit at its existing Bourgoin-Jallieu location, with the capacity to roll out 1 million solar panels annually. This facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2025, leading to an increase in the workforce to 200 by 2026.
This new facility will complement CARBON’s upcoming Fos-sur-Mer Gigafactory, which targets to host 5 GW cell and 3.5 GW module production capacity annually (see France To Host Integrated Solar Gigafactory).
According to its website, Photowatt has 200 MW of annual production capacity with a 10 MW pilot cell manufacturing line. It was created as a spin-off from Philips.
“Photowatt is a pioneering company in the global photovoltaic industry, created 45 years ago. Its integration into CARBON would allow us to associate it with the most important and advanced project for the revival of the solar industry in Europe,” said CARBON CEO Nicolas Chandellier.
CARBON sees the Photowatt production unit as accelerating its commercial presence and meeting the growing demand for Made in France solar panels, especially in the residential solar market. It will also serve as a pilot facility, allowing for testing, refining, and optimizing production processes such as automation, robotization, and digitization.
The CARBON gigafactory has obtained the Major National Interest Project Status from the French government as it targets to establish a strategic industrial base for solar PV manufacturing. It aims to produce over 10 million PV panels annually. Construction is planned to begin in mid-2025 and the commissioning process will start by the end of 2026, according to the company’s current plans.
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