NEWS REVIEW Soitec secures €21.3m funding for R&D
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION has decided that the aid granted by France to the Soitec group to help it conduct the Guépard research and development project complies with the EU rules on state aid. This project is aimed at developing a new concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology. The aid addresses a genuine market failure without unduly distorting competition.
Commission Vice-President Joaquín Almunia, who is in charge of competition
policy, says, “EU state aid rules encourage innovation and allow public aid to be targeted on projects that contribute to European growth and competitiveness. The Guépard project is a very good example of this: it will develop a high-efficiency photovoltaic cell that will not only contribute to making solar energy more attractive but also provide a credible technological alternative to the European photovoltaic sector, which has recently been destabilised.”
At the end of the Guépard project, Soitec will have produced a high-efficiency III-V multi-junction CPV cell.
CPV cells work by concentrating sunlight before transforming it into electrical energy. They are potentially much more efficient than today’s silicon or thin film photovoltaic cells at converting solar energy. The Guépard project will be carried out in cooperation with an SME (InPact) and a research institution (CEA-LETI). The lead player, Soitec, will receive €21.3 million in state aid: €5.9 million in subsidies and €15.4 million in reimbursable advances.
The commission examined the compatibility of the aid in relation to its guidelines for state aid for research and development and innovation. After examining the file, the commission concluded that the Guépard project was affected by market failures. In particular, the partner research institution is expected to make the results of its research widely known through academic publications and training. The commission also recognised that investment in new solar technologies could be discouraged in the short and medium term, as the market has recently been destabilised by the dumping of Chinese solar panels. The commission considers that the aid is necessary and sufficient to allow Soitec to carry out the project.
In the absence of state aid, the company’s R&D efforts would have been considerably reduced: it would for example have abandoned development of high-efficiency cells, considered to be an excessive risk. This would undoubtedly have affected the development of the CPV sector. Finally, the commission was convinced that the target market (ground-based solar power plants) offers good growth prospects, and that the risk of distorting competition could be removed. Soitec’s future market share will be minimal compared to the current market share of leading companies in the sector.
The photovoltaic modules sector has a specific profile; since 2009 the average price of these modules has fallen by two thirds, while at the same time certain Asian companies have seen a sharp increase in their market share.
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www.compoundsemiconductor.net January / February 2014
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