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					</table><p><a href="https://www.meyerburger.com/en/solar-products-for-private-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meyer Burger Technology</a>, a Europe-based solar cell and module manufacturer, has started the process of shutting down its manufacturing facility in Freiberg, Germany. The closure is a part of the company’s plan to cut its losses in Europe and move the manufacturing base to the U.S.</p>
<p>The company stated that maintaining a full-scale solar manufacturing operation in Europe is no longer viable and announced plans to shift focus to the U.S. market, which promises faster growth with lower capital demands.</p>
<p>The company plans to explore the options under the 45X Advanced Solar Manufacturing Tax Credit <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-guidance-45x-tax-credit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regulation</a> to advance its expansion plans in the U.S.</p>
<p>The company said a final decision on the closure would be made by the second half of February, and the shutdown would begin in April 2024, as it left a window of possibility if the government were to introduce incentivizing measures.</p>
<p>Gunter Erfurt, CEO of Meyer Burger Erfurt, said, “Closing our state-of-the-art module production in Germany, which started production less than three years ago, is a decision we would like to avoid. But in the absence of long-time announced firm commitments by lawmakers on measures to create a level playing field, we are prepared to execute our restructuring plan in Germany.”</p>
<p>Solar cell production in Thalheim (Bitterfeld-Wolfen), Germany, is expected to continue to support the production ramp-up of U.S. solar module manufacturing.</p>
<p>The company said it would continue operating its R&amp;D sites in Switzerland and Germany to develop and produce technology and equipment to support its business outside of Europe.</p>
<p>The company maintained that the U.S. is conducive to a thriving domestic solar market, given the Inflation Reduction Act benefits, stable cost base, fixed purchase agreements, and profitable price levels.</p>
<p>Erfurt explained, “In the U.S., we can take full advantage of our leading technology position, resulting in substantial interest by partners and supported by favorable industry policies. Given 5.4 GW of order book under offtake agreements and a potential to generate EBITDA at roughly CHF 250 million (~$288.19 million) in 2026, we are able to grow a profitable business, providing a positive outlook for our shareholders. The expansion of the U.S. business is currently proceeding as planned with the ramp-up of our solar module production site in Goodyear, expected to start in the second quarter of 2024.”</p>
<p>Meyer Burger blames the significant increase in Chinese production overcapacity and trade restrictions imposed by India and the U.S. for the oversupply and distortion in the European solar market over the past year.</p>
<p>The company expects to conclude the 2023 fiscal year with an EBITDA loss of at least CHF126 million (~$145.25 million). The company’s module inventory increased significantly to 360 MW despite the slumped sales during the year. The production facilities in Germany were underutilized, adding to the costs.</p>
<p>The company expects to self-fund its expansion in the U.S. through the sale of inventory, and it has also applied for a loan from the U.S. Department of Energy, passing the first assessment stage.</p>
<p>It is also considering equity financing, involving a rights issue, private placements or other forms of equity-based financing.</p>
<p>In September 2023, the European solar manufacturing industry, represented by SolarPower Europe, <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/europes-solar-industry-warns-bankruptcies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> to the European Commission, highlighting a critical issue regarding the low prices of photovoltaic modules imported from China into Europe and their impact on the domestic market. It claimed that due to the lower prices and oversupply from the Chinese counterparts, manufacturers in the EU were left with over 500 MW of unsold modules, equivalent to more than 30% of their annual manufacturing capacity.</p>


Meyer Burger Plans to Shut Down German Module Facility and Relocate to US


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					</table><p>U.S.-based photovoltaic (PV) modules manufacturer <a href="https://investor.firstsolar.com/overview/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">First Solar</a> has inaugurated its fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu. The India facility joins the ranks of First Solar&#8217;s operational factories in the U.S., Malaysia, and Vietnam.</p>
<p>The facility will have an annual nameplate capacity of 3.3 GW and employ approximately 1,000 people directly. Involving an investment of approximately $700 million, including $500 million in U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (<a href="https://www.dfc.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DFC</a>) financing, the facility is First Solar’s sixth operational factory.</p>
<p>The Tamil Nadu facility focuses on producing First Solar’s Series 7 PV solar modules, specifically developed for the Indian market at the company’s research and development centers in the U.S.</p>
<p>The company claimed its Series 7 module has a carbon and water footprint approximately four times lower than crystalline silicon solar panels produced in China.</p>
<p>First Solar&#8217;s sustainable manufacturing approach uses 50% less energy and only a third of the water compared to an equivalent polysilicon module production facility.</p>
<p>Tamil Nadu Minister for Industries T R B Rajaa, who presided over the inauguration of the facility, said, &#8220;This factory sets a high bar for sustainability and advanced manufacturing and has created high-value jobs as a result of its presence in our state, all while supporting India’s ambition to become self-sufficient in solar technology.&#8221;</p>
<p>The facility also hosts a solar PV recycling plant, contributing to a sustainable circular economy.</p>
<p>Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar, acknowledged the support of the Indian government in swiftly establishing the facility. He emphasized the facility&#8217;s role as a benchmark not only for First Solar&#8217;s global manufacturing footprint but for the entire solar industry.</p>
<p>Recently, First Solar <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/first-solars-module-facility-procure-renewable-cleantech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entered</a> into a 15-year captive power purchase agreement with Cleantech Solar, a renewable energy solution provider, to set up 150 MW of solar and 16.8 MW of wind power generating projects in Tamil Nadu.</p>
<p>The company <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/first-solars-q3-net-higher-module-prices-and-sales-in-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recorded</a> a net profit of $268.4 million during the third quarter of 2023, a year-over-year increase of 445.8% compared to a loss of $49.17 million.</p>


First Solar Opens 3.3 GW Solar Module Manufacturing Facility in Tamil Nadu


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					</table><p>China-headquartered solar photovoltaics (PV) company <a href="https://www.trinasolar.com/us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trina Solar</a> has announced plans to invest over $200 million to build a solar module manufacturing facility in Wilmer, Texas.</p>
<p>The facility, spanning over 1 million square feet, will manufacture 5 GW of solar modules and secure its supply of polysilicon from both the United States and Europe.</p>
<p>Expected to commence production in 2024, the Wilmer facility will produce large power output Vertex modules and use 210 mm large-size wafers.</p>
<p>“We have long had a vision to manufacture solar products in the United States, and we are proud of the jobs we are creating and the investment we are making in the Wilmer community,” said Steven Zhu, President of Trina Solar U.S. “Trina’s goal in building this facility is to begin to create an ecosystem of American manufacturing that can serve the burgeoning U.S. solar market. This factory sets the stage for Trina to continuously expand business in the U.S. and show our customers that we are committed to providing best-in-class products.”</p>
<p>The company said that last year, it partnered with the affordable housing nonprofit Foundation Communities and Spear Commercial &amp; Industrial to build a solar project in a low-income housing project in Austin, Texas.</p>
<p>The company recently started the production of 210mm monocrystalline silicon wafers in the city of Thai Nguyen in Vietnam. The factory will be able to produce 6.5 GW of wafers, 4GW of solar cells, and 5GW of solar modules annually.</p>
<p>Trina Solar’s module shipments for the first half of 2023 totaled 27 GW and accumulated module shipments exceeding 150 GW, with shipments of 210 mm modules surpassing 75 GW, the company had said in a statement.</p>
<p>Trina Solar was among the top solar module suppliers in the calendar year 2022, according to Mercom’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-india-solar-market-leaderboard-2023-market-shares-and-profiles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Market Leaderboard 2023</a>.</p>


Trina Solar to Build $200 Million Module Manufacturing Facility in Texas

<p>Topaz Solar, a private Indian company, will set up a 1.2 GW module manufacturing unit in Odisha, India. The payback period of the project is anticipated to be six years and the project will be developed on a 40-acre plot of land in the vicinity of Bhubaneshwar.</p>
<p>The entire unit will be developed in two phases. Phase-I will be 500 MW and Phase-II will be 700 MW capacity. The total inlay of the first phase of the 500 MW will be ₹2.4 billion (~$37 million), of which, ₹800 million (~$12.5 million) will be equity and ₹1.6 billion (~$25 million) debt. Out of the total project cost, ₹1.8 billion (~$28 million) will be spent on imported equipment, according to a company release.</p>
<p>The second phase will commence two years from the commercial production of 500 MW in the first phase.</p>
<p>In an exclusive interview with Mercom, Mr. Ganesan Natarajan, chairman of Topaz Solar, said, “The time is ripe for foraying into module manufacturing.”</p>
<p>Explaining his statement, Mr. Natarajan said, “The anti-dumping investigation is the second time Chinese solar imports are being questioned by India and this time around anti-dumping will be levied as there are many political and trade equations in play between India and China.”</p>
<p>The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is also providing a direct market for Indian manufacturers and it has proposed increasing the capacity targeted under the CPSU program, added Mr. Natarajan.</p>
<p>He also said the government is providing subsidies to set up manufacturing units, and in the past two years the India solar market has grown multifold, making the timing just perfect to set up module manufacturing in India.</p>
<p>Topaz Solar is availing a 25 percent capital subsidy from the Odisha state government to set up the manufacturing unit. Apart from this, the state is also providing a 5 percent per annum interest subsidy on term loan and GST payback for a five-year period.</p>
<p>If Topaz Solar’s capacity is constructed, it will be equal to Adani’s current manufacturing capacity which is the largest in India. Adani, Vikram Solar, Emmvee, and Waaree Energies are the top four Indian solar module manufacturers, according to the recently released <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/q2-2017-india-solar-quarterly-market-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q2 2017 India Solar Market Update</a>, by Mercom India Research.</p>
<p>Updated: With corrections</p>


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