PV giant First Solar to axe 30% of global staff and exit Germany

Another Story on another bad day for Europe's Solar Industry

PV giant First Solar to axe 30% of global staff and exit Germany

Thin-film PV giant First Solar intends to walk away from its German factories and “indefinitely idle” four of its production lines in Malaysia, as the blood continues to spill across the European solar sector. First Solar’s facility in Frankfurt (Oder), in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, will be closed permanently by the end of the year in response to ever-waning support for PV in core European markets.

The Arizona-based company opened a second plant at the site only last November, doubling its German production capacity to about 500MW.

The four lines to be idled in Kulim, Malaysia – where First Solar now performs the bulk of its manufacturing – will be shut from 1 May, as First Solar looks to align its production capacity with slowing growth in global demand.

The full article can be read at rechargenews.com