The SolarNL initiative designed to bring back solar manufacturing to the Netherlands and Europe has been awarded a subsidy by the Dutch government’s National Growth Fund.
The project will receive EUR 312 million (USD 340m) from the government, of which EUR 135 million awarded immediately and EUR 177 million conditionally, as well as a EUR-100-million loan.
The SolarNL programme groups nine Dutch solar technology companies — Solarge, MCPV, HyET Solar, Compoform, Exasun, Energyra, Lightyear Layer, IM Efficiency and Taylor — and research organisations, targetting the development and large-scale production of circular integrated solar cells and panels in the Netherlands. It will seek to develop and industrialise three innovative photovoltaic (PV) technologies: high-efficiency silicon heterojunction cells (HJT), flexible perovskite films, and PV products for integration into buildings and automotive applications.
MCPV said on Linkedin that the support includes its first GW-scale HJT cell manufacturing facility in Europe.
The overall budget of the programme is EUR 898 million, of which EUR 586 million is private financing.
The National Growth Fund represents a EUR-20-billion growth investment for the period 2021-2025. The SolarNL award came under its latest round.
(EUR 1 = USD 1.090)
