Dark week for French companies. After Duralex and Flabeg, it’s Systovi’s turn to experience difficulties. The French manufacturer of solar panels created in 2008 and which has 87 employees, announced on Wednesday the cessation of its activities in particular in the face of "the sudden acceleration of Chinese dumping" and following its placement in liquidation by the commercial court , according to a press release.
“The company is facing the sudden acceleration of Chinese dumping since the summer of 2023 and the regulatory discussions underway in France and Europe, in which it has participated for years, will not have an effect within a compatible time frame with its challenges,” declared the company, based in Carquefou, near Nantes. Systovi, which has been looking for a buyer since March, has not received a takeover offer.
“Making only modules from Chinese cells has always been a complicated situation, because the cell market is a very volatile market, depending on the needs of the Chinese themselves,” commented Daniel Bour, president of the professional union of the solar energy sector Enerplan, highlighting the “very recent” arrival of Systovi in the sector. “This shows the importance of the solar pact that we have just signed,” he added.
The cessation of activity comes as France launched at the beginning of April a “battle plan” to double the rate of deployment of solar energy capacities on its territory by 2030 and support the production of solar panels manufactured in Europe, facing the ultra-industrial domination of China.
The government is counting on the commissioning of two solar panel factories in the country by 2025 to address the industrialization deficit in the photovoltaic sector, where France is seriously lagging behind.
France added 3.2 GW of additional solar production capacity in 2023, after an increase of 2.7 GW in 2022, a very slow progression in the face of the country's massive decarbonization needs, for a total of 19.3 GW. However, in its energy roadmap published at the end of November, the government brought forward to 2035 (instead of 2050) the objective of achieving 100 GW of solar production.
The objective is to “produce in France by 2030 40% of the photovoltaic panels that we use”, declared the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire at the beginning of April after a visit to a photovoltaic park in the south of France. .
“We are very sad about this outcome”
“We are very sad about this outcome and are now mobilizing all our energy to support as best as possible the women and men who have fought for 15 years to bring French solar into existence,” declared Paul Toulouse, Managing Director of Systovi .
The company achieved a turnover of 21.5 million euros in 2023. The government deplored the failure of the process of searching for buyers initiated by the company, indicated the office of Minister of Industry Roland Lescure, assuring that the State "is closely monitoring the situation of employees and the future of assets of Systovi”.
Earlier in the week, the glass company New Duralex International (NDI), operator of the consumer brand of Duralex glassware, requested “the opening of judicial recovery proceedings”.
For its part, the company Flaberg France, a German-owned manufacturer of automotive mirrors, was placed in liquidation, leading to the elimination of 109 jobs at the Sarrewerden factory (Bas-Rhin). The business will close its doors on Friday.