Led by the company HoloSolis, the construction project in Hambach of one of the largest production factories for photovoltaic panels and cells in Europe is becoming concrete. This Friday, January 24, 2025, a decisive step was taken with the signing of the inter-prefectural decree relating to environmental authorization on the one hand, and the signing of the building permit on the other hand.
This step follows the numerous phases of consultations and public meetings which have taken place over the last few months. “We will now be able to concentrate on the detailed preliminary project which corresponds to the development of the design of the factory. A key step which will then allow us to select the suppliers and builders of the site,” rejoices Jan Jacob Boom-Wichers, president of the European consortium HoloSolis.
For its factory, which should be operational from 2026 and which will eventually (2028) produce 10 million panels and photovoltaic cells, an investment of 850 million euros has been made. Above all, this mega production unit which will extend over 50 hectares of land, will allow the creation of 1,900 jobs. “Welcome home. This project is an excellent signal for the Moselle. The territory has carried out a lot of preparation work to make the installation of this factory possible,” says Patrick Weiten, president of the Moselle Department. “As mayor, it is a source of pride to sign papers concerning one of the largest gigafactories in Europe,” says Daniel Muller, the mayor of Hambach. “We can't wait to see the first jobs arrive,” says Roland Roth, president of the Sarreguemines Confluences urban community.
To set up its factory, HoloSolis had choices. More than 40 sites across six European countries were visited by the leaders of the European consortium. And so it was ultimately the Europole 2 site in Hambach that was selected. “It is partly linked to the fact that Mosellans have a culture of industry,” says Marc Zingraff, mayor of Sarreguemines and regional councilor for the Grand Est.
