Meyer Burger, solar cell maker shelves plan to relocate to US

Admin I Monday, August 26, 2024

 

BITTERFELD-WOLFEN  – The imminent closure of solar cell production by Swiss manufacturer Meyer Burger in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt is now off the table.

The planned establishment of an alternative production site in the United States is currently not financially viable and has therefore been halted, the company announced on Monday. Therefore, production in the town of Bitterfeld-Wolfen will continue to be needed. “That is the good news to the bad news,” said Managing Director Gunter Erfurt.

Meyer Burger had already closed what it described as the largest solar module production facility in the town of Freiberg in the neighbouring state of Saxony in the spring.

The Swiss corporation blamed pressure from cheap Chinese imports to Europe for the closure. Previously, the industry had unsuccessfully appealed to the German federal government to promote European manufacturers. The production of solar cells in Bitterfeld-Wolfen had also been under consideration. Most recently, it had been stated that production there would be needed until 2025.

It had been planned to scale back operations at the plant once production in the US ramped up, said Erfurt. “That is now off the table for the moment.”

The background to the financing problems for cell production in the US, he said, included, among other things, cost increases for materials needed to convert a factory.

The plant in Saxony-Anhalt with its 350 employees will therefore continue to be the “backbone” of Meyer Burger’s solar cell supply and will supply the company’s module production in the US state of Arizona, the company said, adding that this is currently the most economical option.

The module production in Arizona has a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts, and can be completely supplied from Bitterfeld-Wolfen.

Erfurt explained that new regulations in the US had made it more lucrative to import solar cells for module production. The logistics costs for cells are also comparatively low, he said.

In addition, there are significantly more restrictions and tariffs on imports from Asia in the US. “The general price level in the US is therefore comparatively healthy compared to Europe. That’s why it works.”