The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) has called for expression of interest from companies that manufacture solar modules or their key components in the country to establish 10 GW of solar module manufacturing facilities.

The government aims to allocate investment subsidies through the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF) for these facilities, subject to budget availability and European Commission approval.

The last date to submit the bids is August 15, 2023.

To ensure strict standards in solar module manufacturing, the ministry has outlined several stringent requirements that potential manufacturers must meet. These prerequisites aim to promote efficiency, environmental responsibility, and long-term reliability.

The selected facilities must have a minimum annual production capacity of 2 GW.

Manufacturers are mandated to achieve a module efficiency surpassing 24%.

Annual degradation should be kept below 0.2%, ensuring sustained performance throughout the module’s lifespan.

The modules must carry a minimum warranty of 25 years.

Soldering processes are strictly prohibited during production. The select manufacturers must showcase a carbon footprint below 18 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour, considering the entire service life of the modules.

Manufacturers must employ antimony-free solar glass and provide evidence of their efforts to minimize or eliminate lead or lead substitutes in module and component manufacturing.

Cell production should avoid using StickoxIde (nitrogen oxides) to minimize environmental impact.

Manufacturers must refrain from using PFAS (per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) chemicals.

Federal Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck said, “We need our own production capacities in Germany and Europe for central transformation technologies. This is not only a question of economic reason but also a question of economic security. The EU’s new subsidy framework offers opportunities for this, and we want to take advantage of them. We start with photovoltaics and want to support our industry in establishing permanent photovoltaic production in Germany by financially supporting lighthouse projects. This not only strengthens our technological sovereignty but also our energy-political sovereignty.”

Last October, CEOs from companies such as SolarPower Europe, First Solar, BayWa r.e., Wacker Chemie AG, and Iberdrola Group urged the European Commission to call for action to boost investment in the continent’s solar photovoltaic industrial base and reinforce the Commission’s solar deployment and energy security ambitions.

The Bundesrat, the federal legislative council, had recently approved the law passed by the Bundestag (German Parliament) under which renewables must be at least 80% of the country’s power capacity mix by 2030.

While addressing a session at the 53rd World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023,  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reaffirmed that the country’s renewable shift is well on track despite setbacks and has accelerated post-war in Ukraine.