Fraunhofer ISE supporting 5GW integrated PV manufacturing plant in Spain

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Dr. Jochen Rentsch, head of department Production Technology: Surfaces and Interfaces at Fraunhofer ISE said, “We are delighted that Greenland has chosen us as their partner for selecting the starting technology. We will also support Greenland through the ramp-up and further technological development.” Image: Fraunhofer ISE

A new PV manufacturing start-up, Greenland, is collaborating with Fraunhofer ISE and Bosch Rexroth on a 5GW highly automated and integrated manufacturing facility in Spain.

The solar manufacturing centre is to be built and operated in the free trade zone of the port of Seville in Andalusia.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Fraunhofer ISE said that it would be providing Greenland with advisory on factory planning, technical support as well as in the development of advanced cell technology, while Bosch Rexroth provided state-of-the-art, fully integrated, industry 4.0 production technology.

The ‘Greenland Gigawatt’ project has a timeline of two years, although no mention was made of the people or other companies behind Greenland, not least the financial backers and the estimated capital investment needed to initially build an integrated 5GW manufacturing plant in Europe from scratch.

Dr. Jochen Rentsch, head of department Production Technology: Surfaces and Interfaces at Fraunhofer ISE said, “We are delighted that Greenland has chosen us as their partner for selecting the starting technology. We will also support Greenland through the ramp-up and further technological development.”

Fraunhofer ISE noted that Greenland would initially use p-Type mono Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) technology.

Thomas Fechner, head of new business at Bosch Rexroth added, “We have partnered with Greenland Gigafactory and Fraunhofer ISE to create a highly innovative, fully flexible and completely networked solar cell production facility of the future to serve the promising European market.”

In 2019, German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association, VDMA, commissioned Fraunhofer ISE to study the competitiveness of the European PV manufacturing industry, suggesting that building the key components (wafer, cell, module) in-house with a scale of at least 5GW would compete competitively in the European market with Asia-based manufacturers.

However, it was also noted that success was not simply dependent on technical and scale-related aspects but would also require an EU-wide CO2 emissions pricing system for downstream markets to benefit European manufacturers considerably lower carbon footprint (as outlined in the study), compared to imports from Asia.

PV Tech’s sister technical journal, Photovoltaics International presented a white paper on the study from the parties involved in edition 43, entitled, “Competitiveness of a European PV manufacturing chain” in 2019.

“European research centers are developing some of the most advanced technologies in the world. These include tandem solar cells for top efficiency values which reduce both the required surface area and material consumption, as well as sustainable production technologies based on the principles of the circular economy and recycling,” added Prof. Andreas Bett, Fraunhofer ISE’s institute director.

“Funding of and investments into these key technologies at EU-level will help consolidate the leadership position of Europe in these key strategic technologies.”

2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.

Read Next

July 3, 2025
Spanish IPP Zelestra has secured a €235 million (US$277 million) increase to its sustainability-linked loan, bringing the total to €770 million.
July 3, 2025
TotalEnergies has expanded its renewables assets in the Caribbean, sold a stake in projects in Portugal and begun construction on two PV parks in Spain.
July 2, 2025
Asset management firm Capital Dynamics has secured €110 million (US$129.4 million) in financing for three solar PV projects in Spain.
July 1, 2025
Solar developer ib vogt has sold a 110MW solar PV plant in Spain to international fund NextPower V ESG, which is operated by investment firm NextEnergy Capital (NEC).
June 30, 2025
Eni subsidiary Plentiude has started operations at the northern block of its 330MW Renopool solar portfolio in Spain.
June 30, 2025
The Spanish government has launched a €100 million (US$117 million) aid programme to help promote the recycling and reuse of materials from renewable energy projects.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK