CAN WE BUILD A FRENCH SOLAR INDUSTRY CHAIN, FROM PRODUCTION TO RECYCLING?
Format
Round table
Dec 9, 2026 — 03:30 pm - 4:30 PMSalle OURANOS (Hall B3)
Speakers:
Description
Europe’s dependence on Chinese photovoltaic modules has become a strategic blind spot in the energy transition. As industrial sovereignty returns to the forefront of public policy, a few projects are emerging in France and across Europe to rebuild a solar value chain—from materials to module manufacturing, through installation, maintenance, and recycling. But at what cost, and with what economic viability?
The cancellation of an initial industrial project in France underscores the difficulty of establishing a competitive solar industry in a market dominated by Asia. At the same time, the recycling of first-generation panels opens up another prospect: that of a circular economy still in its infancy, but poised to scale up significantly with the gradual arrival of millions of end-of-life panels.
This roundtable will therefore explore the conditions necessary for true industrial sovereignty in the solar sector: Can we transition from a model of massive imports to a French and European industry capable of producing, installing, maintaining, recycling, and creating value within the region?