Midsummer halts plans for Swedish solar cell factory

Swedish solar manufacturer Midsummer has halted plans to build a 200 MW CIGS thin-film solar cell and module factory in Flen, Sweden. As a result, the company will forgo €32.3 million in funding previously awarded by the European Commission under the EU Innovation Fund.

The decision follows the rejection of an expected investment grant from the Swedish Energy Agency’s Industriklivet program. CEO Eric Jaremalm stated that even with the EU contribution, self-financing the project would have required several hundred million Swedish kronor, a financial burden the company deems irresponsible for its shareholders.

Midsummer is shifting its long-term strategy toward an asset-light model. Instead of owning and operating all manufacturing sites, the company intends to collaborate with industrial partners by supplying machinery and raw materials to enable local production in faster-growing international markets.