The talks come because the European Photo voltaic Manufacturing Council (ESMC), the physique representing photovoltaic producers, this week despatched a letter to Brussels interesting for ”pressing” measures together with a swift, EU-led buyout of their inventories.
The group argues that sponsored Chinese language mass manufacturing of photo voltaic modules — which presently promote for half the value of their EU equivalents — paired with an oversupply of panels within the bloc makes it not possible for the bloc’s producers to shift their shares.
”We’re actually seeing a wave of bankruptcies” in Europe, mentioned ESMC Secretary Common Johan Lindahl, citing latest insolvencies together with Dutch panel producer Exasun and Austrian module producer Energetic. Germany can also be presently in Eleventh-hour talks with Meyer Burger after the Swiss photo voltaic agency mentioned it might halt manufacturing of modules within the nation as early as April.
”All the things factors to the truth that Chinese language producers are promoting under their manufacturing value,” Lindahl mentioned, and now the result’s ”very, very worrying … We’re about to lose the trade in Europe.”
The EU is hoping to convey 30 gigawatts of photo voltaic manufacturing capability again to the bloc by 2030 as a part of its proposed Internet-Zero Business Act, after dropping a lot of its trade to Beijing a decade in the past. EU international locations produced simply 1.5 GW of their very own photo voltaic panels final yr.
The photo voltaic trade is extensively supportive of direct help, calling for an EU-led bailout way back to September. However commerce protection measures — together with an anti-subsidy probe into China’s actions — stay extra controversial.