Economics Minister Robert Habeck sees opportunities for a comeback of the solar industry in Germany. With a view to a planned strong expansion of solar systems in Germany, the Green politician said at the end of a two-day summer tour that it would be stupid not to use the market ramp-up for industrial policy as well. In Germany, a few years ago, the solar industry was incomprehensibly allowed to collapse. "But we can pull it up again."
Habeck visited the solar module manufacturer Meyer Burger Technology AG in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, which has ambitious goals. Company boss Gunter Erfurt emphasized the quality advantage compared to manufacturers from Asia. Currently, 98 percent of solar cell production worldwide comes from Asia, primarily from China.
The economy minister said the logic that production had to go to Asia for cost reasons had changed. Habeck named higher transport costs and greater robotization of production in Germany and Europe. The federal government will do everything to ensure that, with the ramp-up of solar energy production, it will also be possible to ramp up solar energy production in Germany again.
With regard to the gas crisis, Habeck said that all political and social forces must be exerted to get through this difficult time. At the same time, the development of the next value chain in Germany should not be neglected. It is about investing in the future despite the crisis.
