PVTIME – Solarwatt, a German provider of photovoltaic systems, recently announced the closure of one of its module factories with a production capacity of 300MW per year, mainly due to the rapid fall in module prices in recent months.
The facility, which was commissioned in 2021, is located in Dresden, eastern Germany, and will close in August 2024, with production continuing on a two-shift system until it closes. Around 190 of the 750 employees will be affected.
“Module production in Germany is an unacceptable burden, but we will invest heavily in other areas,” said Detlef Neuhaus, the company’s CEO. “We will try to offer the majority of them other positions within the company, for example as fitters, planners or service employees”.
The core production and research team will be retained, including around 25 people in quality and development and another 20 who maintain the plant’s machinery. If things continue as they are in three to four years’ time and market conditions improve, Solarwatt will be able to quickly ramp up German production again, added Neuhaus.
Founded in 1993, Solarwatt has been a pioneer in the German solar industry for more than 30 years. In 2021, Solarwatt opened a new production line and decided to invest in a further 10GW of ingot capacity. However, in 2023, Solarwatt laid off 10% of its 850 employees.
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