European solar panel manufacturers are asking the European Union (EU) for urgent help to prevent local companies from closing due to price pressure from Chinese imports, in a letter obtained by Reuters.
Several European solar manufacturers plan to shut down factories due to an influx of imports and an oversupply of solar panel parts, leading to a price drop.
In the letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) expressed concern that without immediate assistance, the European Union could witness the closure of more than half of its operational solar photovoltaic module manufacturing capacity in a matter of weeks.
“Over the next 4–8 weeks, major EU PV module producers and their European suppliers are poised to shut down manufacturing lines unless substantial emergency measures are promptly implemented,” said the letter, dated January 30.
Europe is rapidly expanding solar energy, installing a record 56 GW of new capacity last year.