carbon

European solar manufacturing start-up Carbon has abandoned its plan to build a 5GW module assembly plant in France due to a lack of conditions required for EU-made solar PV manufacturing.

Carbon has emerged as a third actor in the ongoing patent dispute between rival Chinese manufacturers JA Solar and Astronergy.

Under the agreement, Photowatt would be integrated into Carbon’s solar PV manufacturing project in France.

Carbon has announced plans for its next facility, a research and development (R&D) and training facility in Istres, southern France.

Carbon plans to launch the first part of its module production facility in autumn 2025, ahead of a ramp up to an annual cell capacity of 5GW.

PV Tech Premium caught up with the French solar PV manufacturing startup Carbon to discuss its plans for expansion, inclusion in a European research and development (R&D) ecosystem and how to redress the balance of EU solar supply.

Last week, French PV startup Carbon announced plans for an integrated European PV manufacturing facility to produce an initial capacity of 5GW of cells and 3.5GW of modules. The company spoke to PV Tech Premium about its short and long-term plans, and why Europe needs a PV manufacturing ecosystem.

French PV manufacturing startup Carbon has chosen a location for a proposed cell and module gigafactory which it plans to bring into operation in late 2025. The plant would be Carbon’s first production facility.

Thin-film technologies such as cadmium telluride and perovskites can markedly reduce the carbon intensity of PV compared with silicon alternatives, according to researchers at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

European solar manufacturing start-up Carbon has partnered with the International Solar Energy Research Center (ISC) Konstanz as it pursues a multi-gigawatt cell manufacturing facility in Europe.