Under the French EU Presidency, major solar industry players convened in Brussels to outline how a revitalized European photovoltaic (PV) industry might meet the continent’s climate and energy security issues.
The event, hosted by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), focused on the regeneration of solar PV production in Europe and how to maximize synergy between EU climate and industrial aspirations, Energy Global reports.
As demand for PV-supplied electricity is expected to rise from 3% to 15% by 2030, EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson addressed the session by emphasizing the importance of solar in guaranteeing energy security. Noting the impending EU Solar Strategy, which will shine a light on the sector and boost EU solar manufacturing, Simson noted that the industry’s only path forward is up; technology will continue to advance as demand for solar energy grows. On the supply side, this creates an opportunity, and the EU is well-positioned to capitalize on it.
Speakers from across the solar value chain emphasized the EU solar sector’s primary competitive advantage: worldwide technology leadership. Discussions emphasized the need of scaling up production across the value chain while tackling remaining bottlenecks, such as project and factory permission delays, as well as high capital and operating expenses, as soon as possible.
Participants learned about the European Solar Initiative’s critical role in supplying the European PV manufacturing capacity needed to fulfill demand, as well as a sneak peek at the initiative’s future stages. The Business Investment Platform, the initiative’s finance pillar, is anticipated to make funding choices for three large-scale PV manufacturing projects soon.