Sungrow, the largest global technology provider of solar and energy storage, just made a big bet. To support this effort, they are sinking €230 million (about $271.86 million) into a new manufacturing plant in Europe, their first on the continent. That new plant is located in Wałbrzych, deep in Poland’s Lower Silesia region and near the border with the Czech Republic. It’s meant to revitalize the local economy and help accelerate Europe’s transition to renewable energy. The facility will improve logistics efficiency and reduce delivery transit times. It accomplishes this, in part, by moving important modes of production closer to the customer.
We chose to build the factory in Poland due in large part to its robust clean energy supply chain. The country is home to a highly skilled, highly educated workforce in electronics and automation, world-class advanced manufacturing. Sungrow hopes to manufacture the facility on a single 65,400 square meter site. This highly anticipated project will supercharge Europe’s quickly-growing offshore wind market and help meet the Global North’s clean energy commitments.
Production Capabilities and Goals
Sungrow’s new facility, the company’s first in North America will be 100 percent dedicated to photovoltaic inverter and energy storage system manufacturing. The factory’s new planned annual capacity of 200 gigawatt-hours is mind-boggling. It forecasts a maximum of 20 gigawatts for inverters and 12.5 gigawatt-hours for ESSs. This new production capacity will help meet the overwhelming demand for clean energy technologies sweeping the Continent. Perhaps more importantly, it allows Sungrow to remain competitive in the constantly evolving renewable energy sector.
To that end, Sungrow is moving a significant portion of its manufacturing operations to Europe. This step will get deliveries done faster and make our logistics network more efficient overall. These calculated steps will only boost the budding regional renewable energy marketplace. By extension, they’ll percolate more dollars into their local economies.
Local Impact and Support
The news has been well received by local officials. They recognize its promise to bring new job opportunities and spark economic development for the entire region. This initiative is expected to reinforce Poland’s role within Europe’s clean energy value chain, as the country continues to move towards high-tech and sustainable industries.
Creating this facility is a big step towards building the continent’s clean energy manufacturing ecosystem. As countries strive for greener alternatives, investments like Sungrow’s are essential in providing the infrastructure necessary for achieving ambitious climate goals.
Future Outlook
The factory is scheduled to begin operations in the next 12 months. This is a notable, transformative step for Sungrow as it grows its footprint across Europe. Sustainability and innovation are core values for the company. It is poised to lead the development of the region’s renewable energy future.