On April 16th, MCPV, a Dutch PV company and member of the European Solar Manufacturing Council, announced a €10 million grant from the Spanish government to construct a 2.5GW solar module factory in Tudela, Navarre, northern Spain. This project is a key component of the nearly €300 million Clean Energy Transition Fund unveiled by Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO) in March.
“This funding marks a crucial step in revitalizing Europe’s PV industry,” stated Marc Rechter, CEO of MCPV. “We aim to establish a high-efficiency, low-cost PV manufacturing hub by integrating silicon heterojunction (HJT) technology, propelling Europe toward energy autonomy and technological leadership.”
Targeting 15GW Capacity by 2026
Founded in 2020, MCPV’s founding team includes PV technology pioneer Professor Eicke Weber and energy sector experts. Its core strategy involves building gigawatt-scale capacity in Europe through a “greenfield” approach. Focused on HJT combined with ultra-thin wafers (≤50μm), MCPV aims to reduce material and energy costs, targeting 15GW capacity by 2026 and 40% market share in Europe by 2030.
Last October, MCPV received €4.2 million from the Dutch National Growth Fund for a 4GW HJT cell factory in Veendam, Netherlands. Expected to commence construction in late 2026, this plant will sync with the Spanish module factory’s launch before 2029, with total investments exceeding €500 million.
MCPV’s focus on HJT technology stems from its differentiated advantages amidst industry homogenization. HJT boasts a mass-production efficiency exceeding 24%, a low temperature coefficient (-0.24%/°C), 30% higher bifacial power generation, and excellent anti-PID decay performance.
Eicke Weber, MCPV co-founder and former director of Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute, notes that HJT technology could achieve a 30% conversion efficiency by 2030, positioning Europe competitively in next-gen PV.
Europe Subsidizes HJT Efficiency Technology on a Large Scale
Post-Russia-Ukraine conflict, the EU is accelerating efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese PV products. For instance, the Spanish government allocated €297 million via the PERTE plan to support domestic PV manufacturing and energy storage projects.
As the PV industry intensifies homogenized competition, next-gen high-efficiency technologies have become pivotal. The EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan offers a “green premium” subsidy of €0.02 per watt for PV module production, prioritizing advanced technologies like HJT. European Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) provide low-interest loans to domestic firms, with special funds supporting silver-free paste batteries and perovskite tandem cell R&D, aiming for a 32% mass-production efficiency breakthrough by 2030.
In January 2025, Italy launched the “Transizione 5.0” incentive plan, promoting European-made high-efficiency PV products through differentiated tax credits. Under the 2025 budget bill, PV modules achieving a minimum conversion efficiency of 21.5% receive a 130% cost-based tax credit; PV cells with 23.5%-24% efficiency get a 140% cost-based credit; bifacial HJT or tandem cell modules with ≥24% efficiency enjoy a 150% cost-based credit. This plan is funded by €6.3 billion from the EU’s REPowerEU initiative, with €1.89 billion earmarked for self-generated renewable energy asset investments.
