The closure of Systovi’s factory in Carquefou is a stark reminder of the challenges faced in establishing a sustainable French or European photovoltaic sector. Despite years of dedicated work, the company fell victim to market forces and competition from Chinese manufacturers.
Despite contacting around fifty players in the sector, Paul Toulouse was unable to find a buyer for Systovi. The lack of regulatory perspective and protection tools for French or European industries has contributed to the difficulties faced by companies like Systovi.
As France strives to increase its solar energy production capacity and reduce dependence on imports, the closure of Systovi serves as a stark reminder of the realities of the industry and the need for robust protection measures for domestic producers. The 87 employees of Systovi have had to come to terms with the company’s closure, with two-thirds of them voting in favor of liquidation rather than seeking a one-month reprieve in hopes of finding a buyer.
European MP Christophe Clergeau called for urgent action to protect remaining companies in the face of what he described as a Chinese economic attack on the photovoltaic sector in Europe. He emphasized on protecting domestic producers through robust protection measures that will enable them to compete effectively with Chinese manufacturers while maintaining their sustainability goals.
Despite Systovi’s potentially profitable technologies and recent investments in production facilities, market forces and competition from Chinese manufacturers ultimately led to its closure. As France moves forward with its solar energy objectives, it is crucial that lessons are learned from this experience so that similar situations do not happen again.
The closure of Systovi’s factory is not just a loss for its employees but also a loss for France as it slows down its efforts towards achieving energy transition goals. The need for more regulations and protection tools for French or European industries is now more important than ever before if we want to build a sustainable photovoltaic sector that can compete effectively with other countries such as China.
