Press Release No. 40/2012 IG Metall calls for an industrial policy action plan for the photovoltaic sector – Detlef Wetzel: ...

Frankfurt/Main – IG Metall has called for an industrial policy action plan for Germany’s struggling photovoltaic industry. “While the focus in Germany is primarily on limiting the volume of electricity generated by solar energy, an innovative industry is dying—especially at sites in eastern Germany—because of the lack of an urgently needed industrial policy action plan,” said Detlef Wetzel, Second Chairman of IG Metall, on Tuesday in Frankfurt. At the IG Metall conference “Industry Dialogue: Photovoltaics and Solar—Overcoming the Crisis,” works council members, political representatives, and representatives from the solar industry discussed the future of this sector in Germany.

Wetzel criticized the federal government for failing to develop a coherent energy strategy for the energy transition. “Simply carrying over old targets—just without nuclear power—jeopardizes the energy transition, as can be seen in the example of photovoltaics.” Transmission line construction and grid integration, storage, and financing are the key challenges, he said. “In a situation where the federal government, against its better judgment, is making the photovoltaic industry the scapegoat for the energy transition—because this government is unable to free itself from the grip of lobbyists and present a viable plan for the energy transition—this industry needs its employees and the public as allies,” said Wetzel.

The goal is to finally recognize photovoltaics as an important and promising industry for Germany and Europe. A new industrial policy must now lay the groundwork for shifting, in the medium term, toward promoting research and development as well as industrial production capacity. “It is important to ensure a level playing field for German industry vis-à-vis competitors from other industrial regions, so that competition is based on technology rather than wage dumping,” Wetzel urged.

To preserve industrial infrastructure and open up market opportunities, a KfW loan program is necessary to complement further industrial policy measures. Furthermore, the promotion of industrial capacity in Germany must be supported by the Federal Republic’s international cooperation with countries seeking to improve and modernize their energy supply. “Furthermore, we must urgently set the course so that ‘Made in Europe’ becomes a mark of quality for solar products that are efficient, durable, and produced in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner,” Wetzel urged. In this context, local content regulations that comply with competition rules should not be off-limits.