• Start towards environmentally friendly solar cell technology "Made in Europe" and important step towards more energy sovereignty in Europe.
• Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, and Minister of Economics, Prof. Armin Willingmann, are impressed by the investments in this technology of the future and the creation of high-quality jobs.
• Production starts with an annual capacity of 400 megawatts, capacity expansion to 5 gigawatts targeted by 2026.

The opening of the new plant took place digitally against the backdrop of the COVID 19 pandemic. On-site, CEO Gunter Erfurt welcomed several people in person and virtually, including the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, the Minister for Economics, Science and Digitalization of Saxony-Anhalt, Prof. Armin Willingmann, and Armin Schenk, Mayor of Bitterfeld-Wolfen. In addition, the Swiss Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, Paul R. Seger, had sent a word of greeting. The opening will be covered in a video that can be seen on Meyer Burger's website and social media channels.

The 'Solar Valley" is once again becoming a symbol for a successful European solar industry. In addition to the ideal infrastructure, Meyer Burger relies on first-class trained and experienced personnel in the region. With the first expansion phase of 400 megawatts, Meyer Burger has already created around 350 high-quality jobs at two new locations. Meyer Burger's proprietary Heterojunction/SmartWire technology, developed over twelve years, is setting new performance and sustainability benchmarks for solar modules. Meyer Burger builds its supply chains as locally as possible; the most important raw material, polysilicon, comes from Europe. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems confirmed earlier this year that solar cell production in Bitterfeld-Wolfen has significant environmental benefits compared to conventional manufacturing. This was rewarded by the German state of Saxony-Anhalt with a commitment for an environmental protection grant of up to 15 million euros and an investment grant of up to 7.5 million euros.

The production equipment developed at Meyer Burger's Neuchâtel and Thun sites and built-in Hohenstein-Ernstthal (Saxony) is now being put into operation. Production in Thalheim will be ramped up in June. In the highly automated full operation, up to 200,000 solar cells will roll off the production line every day. The Thalheim site currently has a total area of 27,000 square meters. This is sufficient for the targeted rapid expansion to 1.4 gigawatts of solar cell capacity. In addition to production, Meyer Burger will accommodate important company divisions here, including sales and marketing. The solar cells will be processed into solar modules in Freiberg. Meyer Burger will open its solar module plant there on May 26, 2021, and the first modules will be shipped from there starting in July.

Reiner Haseloff said: "This investment gives the energy transition in Saxony-Anhalt another concrete shape and new impetus. With forty years of experience in photovoltaics, Meyer Burger is a company that fits the Bitterfeld-Wolfen location. This is because we have a wide range of experience in the industry here and, of course, a motivated and well-trained workforce. Meyer Burger is indeed setting standards in renewable energy technology, and we are therefore pleased to welcome the company to Saxony-Anhalt."

Saxony-Anhalt's Minister of Economic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, commented on the opening: "Meyer Burger has succeeded in establishing a new production site for solar cells and modules in Bitterfeld-Wolfen in a very short time and has created high-quality jobs. This shows in an exemplary manner that Saxony-Anhalt has developed into an attractive location for national and international investors. The fact that the solar industry is picking up new momentum here is no coincidence: over the past five years in particular, we have networked business and science more closely and made targeted investments in both areas. The availability of skilled workers and the opportunity to drive forward development projects in cooperation with scientific institutions is what makes Saxony-Anhalt so attractive as a business location today. Meyer Burger's major investment is making a decisive contribution to further developing Saxony-Anhalt into a state of future technologies."

CEO Gunter Erfurt thanked the politicians for their support and said: "Meyer Burger is setting a milestone at the historic solar site Solar Valley on Europe's path to greater strategic independence in the key technology of photovoltaics. This is an example of the European industry's successful ability to transform towards sustainable business. There is a unique opportunity to become an innovative global pacesetter in the field of renewable energies, to create high-quality jobs in the region, and to provide our customers attractive products for the generation of climate-friendly and competitive electrical energy."

Opening online: 

English: https://www.meyerburger.com/en/opening-thalheim

Source: www.meyerburger.com

On Tuesday, the listed Swiss machine manufacturer Meyer Burger Technology AG officially opened its new solar cell plant in Thalheim in the district of Bitterfeld-Wolfen in the presence of Saxony-Anhalt's Minister of Economic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann. The company had used most of the funds raised in a capital increase of 165 million Swiss francs (around 150 million euros) to build the new site.

"Meyer Burger has succeeded in building a new production site for solar cells and modules in Bitterfeld-Wolfen in a very short time and creating high-quality jobs. This shows in an exemplary manner that Saxony-Anhalt has developed into an attractive location for national and international investors," said Willingmann at the ceremonial opening of the plant, which was digitally broadcast by the company for infection control reasons. The fact that the solar industry is picking up new momentum is no coincidence, Willingmann went on to emphasize: "In the past five years in particular, we have networked business and science more closely and made targeted investments in both areas. The availability of skilled workers and the opportunity to drive development projects forward in cooperation with scientific institutions is what makes Saxony-Anhalt so attractive as a business location today. Meyer Burger's major investment makes a decisive contribution to further developing Saxony-Anhalt into a state of future technologies."

Willingmann also expressed optimism that "comeback" of the solar industry in Saxony-Anhalt will be sustainable. "In the global market, we are seeing an ever-increasing trend toward local production," the minister explained. "Production today generally takes place in a highly automated manner. As a result, personnel costs are less of an issue for companies today, whereas transport costs have risen globally, particularly in recent years. As a result, production is becoming more attractive again, even in high-wage countries." In addition, there is growing interest in the business community in no longer shipping components and products around the world at any price in times of climate change. In view of ambitious climate targets and necessary investments in renewable energies, Europe is an attractive market for companies in the long term.

The Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Economics is supporting the construction of the new production site in Solar Valley with 22.5 million euros (7.5 million euros in GRW investment funding and 15 million euros in environmental aid). Subject to successful debt financing, the production capacity in Bitterfeld-Wolfen is to be expanded initially to 1.4 GW, and subsequently to 5 GW in 2026. Willingmann praised the Swiss company's ambitious plans: "According to these plans, one of Europe's largest solar cell plants will be built in Saxony-Anhalt."

Over the past four years, the Ministry of Economics has supported several major investments in the Bitterfeld-Wolfen district. In August 2020, the corrugated cardboard manufacturer Progroup put the world's most modern paper mill, according to the company, into operation for 465 million euros after a construction period of only 18 months. Around 500 direct and indirect jobs are associated with the new factory construction. In September 2020, FEV Group opened what the company says is the world's largest independent battery testing facility at a cost of about 70 million euros, creating about 100 new jobs. In addition, the American-Chinese battery manufacturer Farasis Energy Europe announced plans to locate a battery competence center in addition to the planned battery plant in Solar Valley for 600 million euros. In perspective, Farasis thus intends to create a total of around 2,000 new jobs in Bitterfeld-Wolfen.

"It will be important to continue to make targeted investments in business and science in the coming years in order to consolidate this encouraging development," Willingmann emphasized. "Every euro invested in future technologies is well and effectively spent. Because with the new or expanded production sites, there are new, high-quality jobs, more added value and, in the end, higher tax revenues from which the state and municipalities benefit."

Source: mw.sachsen-anhalt.de