Solar cell manufacturer Meyer Burger is considering relocating its production to the USA due to cheap loans and energy costs. Whether the shift will actually take place depends on additional support for the European solar industry.
Meyer Burger threatens to relocate production
Gunter Erfurt, the Chief Executive Officer of Meyer Burger, said in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Monday edition) that relocating production to the USA was a possible scenario. “One scenario is to move manufacturing to the US,” he said. Cheap loans and cheap energy are available in the USA.
The decision depends on the promotion of the European solar industry
Erfurt emphasized that the final decision depends on additional funding for the European solar industry. For him personally, it would be the “biggest professional defeat” if he had to announce the relocation of his workforce, he said. Meyer Burger currently operates production facilities in Bitterfeld and Freiberg, Saxony.
Competitive pressure and political disunity
Europe’s solar industry is under significant competitive pressure from China. At the center of the discussion is a special bonus to promote the European solar industry, which goes beyond the usual support for renewable energies and requires that components from Europe are used. This proposal is currently being discussed in the Bundestag as part of a solar package. However, there is disagreement in the coalition about the so-called “resilience bonus”. While the SPD and the Greens support him, the FDP rejects him.
2023-11-26 23:40:11
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