FR / Photovoltaics: end of the Carbon project, which aimed to pioneer the European PV industry

"The story ends here, but our convictions remain. After more than four years of commitment, we have decided to put an end to the Carbon project", said the eponymous company on 19/05/2026. "This difficult decision reflects the absence, at this stage, of the conditions necessary for the emergence of a genuine European photovoltaic market to secure the continuation of the project".

Carbon aimed to establish a European photovoltaic industry, including the construction of a gigafactory in Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône). The company obtained planning permission and environmental permits in April 2025.

" A project of this scale also requires, over a number of years, the existence of a market specifically dedicated to European players and supported by the Member States. Despite the assertion of a political will by the EU and its Member States to reindustrialise and relocate the photovoltaic value chain, progress towards these ambitions is very slow. There are still persistent differences between Member States on the creation of a strictly European photovoltaic market", adds Carbon.

" The lack…