Meyer Burger to produce only double glass modules

03/06/2023 | Print view

Preparing new solar modules for the test stand. - © Stephan Floss — © Stephan Floss

Preparing new solar modules for the test stand.

The Swiss company Meyer Burger has big plans. The third module line in Freiberg will soon go into operation. Cell production in Thalheim is growing. The expansion of the gigafactories shows that the return of the European solar industry cannot be achieved overnight.

The expansion of Europe's largest module factory in Freiberg, Saxony is moving forward. This shows: The solar industry is returning, but not overnight. Because it's not just about machines and capacities. It is about sustainable business models in markets that are increasingly diversifying and at the same time growing dynamically.

Meyer Burger will deliver around 800 megawatts of solar modules from Freiberg this year. This is less than originally targeted. The plant will not reach the mark of one gigawatt of manufactured module output until 2024. "It's not just about expanding capacity," explained company spokesperson Anne Schneider during the on-site visit. "We currently operate two module lines in Freiberg, on which we produce glass-foil modules and glass-glass modules. The changeover of the lines when changing product variants costs time each time."

Only glass-glass modules in future

A third line is currently being rebuilt. With it, an important decision has been made: "In future, we will only manufacture glass-glass modules," Anne Schneider holds out the prospect. "We will take glass-foil out of the programme. By the end of 2024, we will reach around 3.4 gigawatts of manufacturing capacity in Germany and the USA."

Despite certain delays, Meyer Burger is in a solid position. In 2022, net sales amounted to CHF 147.2 million, compared to CHF 39.9 million in the previous year. The plant in Goodyear in the US state of Arizona will be expanded from 1.6 gigawatts to two gigawatts.

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By the end of 2023, when the third module line in Freiberg is fully installed and ramped up, around 1.4 gigawatts of manufacturing capacity will be available in Germany. According to current plans, the third line is scheduled to start up in summer 2023. After that, the first line, which still comes from Solarworld and has been modernised in the meantime, will be converted to the uniform product platform of glass-glass panels. (HS/mfo)