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Ecolab plans to invest €100 million in HoloSolis and GravitHy as part of France's clean industrial strategy
HoloSolis aims to produce up to 10 million photovoltaic panels annually from its planned Hambach gigafactory starting in 2028
Ecolab will provide financial backing and industrial expertise to support sustainable manufacturing and regional job creation
Industrial water management company Ecolab has announced plans to invest €100 million in 2 strategic French industrial projects, including HoloSolis, the solar PV manufacturing startup developing one of Europe's largest solar gigafactories.
Ecolab President and CEO Christophe Beck said the company is backing industrial projects that support a strong, competitive, and decarbonized European economy.
Located in the Europôle zone of Hambach, France, the HoloSolis facility will be designed to produce solar cells and modules at scale, with annual output expected to reach up to 10 million solar panels. The plant is scheduled to begin operations in 2028 and is expected to strengthen Europe's energy competitiveness while supporting the development of a regional solar manufacturing value chain.
HoloSolis originally targeted the factory’s commercial operations to begin in 2025, ramping up to full 5 GW capacity from 2027 with a focus on TOPCon solar technology (see Another French Solar Gigafactory). In November 2025, it raised a total of €220 million in financing, adding 2 new family-owned investors that contributed over €13 million (see HoloSolis Raises €220 Million In Funding For French PV Gigafactory).
With this investment, Ecolab joins the likes of InnoEnergy, Heraeus, TSE, IDEC Groupe, and Armor Group, which HoloSolis counts among its investors.
Apart from HoloSolis, Ecolab is also investing in the low-carbon iron producer GravitHy, which plans to operate from a facility in Fos-sur-Mer, with operations expected to start in 2030.
Ecolab has not specified its individual contribution to these projects out of the €100 million. The company said it will contribute not only financial support but also its expertise in water management and industrial performance optimization, helping energy- and water-intensive industries transition to more sustainable operating models.
It expects the investment to contribute to local economic development and support the creation of around 2,500 skilled jobs across the regions involved.
The investment was unveiled at the Choose France Summit, where Ecolab said this initiative reflects its commitment to combining industrial performance with sustainability and supporting the growth of a competitive, low-carbon European industry.
On the occasion, French Minister Delegate for Ecological Transition Mathieu Lefèvre said the investment demonstrates France's ability to attract global companies to invest in future industries. He added that projects such as HoloSolis and low-carbon iron producer GravitHy will help accelerate economic decarbonization and create skilled jobs.
The news of Ecolab’s investment in HoloSolis follows another French solar PV startup, Carbon, which had to shelve its plans to launch a French gigafactory after more than 4 years of development efforts, citing the lack of suitable market conditions and policy support for the project (see Carbon Ends Plans For 5 GW French Solar Module Factory).
