en.Wedoany.com Reported - Industrial water management company Ecolab has announced plans to invest €100 million in two strategic French industrial projects, including supporting solar photovoltaic manufacturing startup HoloSolis in building one of Europe's largest solar gigafactories.
Ecolab President and CEO Christophe Beck stated that the company is backing industrial projects that contribute to building a strong, competitive, and decarbonized European economy.
Located in the Europôle zone in Hambach, France, the HoloSolis factory is designed for mass production of solar cells and modules, with an expected annual output of 10 million solar panels. The plant is scheduled to begin operations in 2028 and is expected to enhance Europe's energy competitiveness while supporting the development of the regional solar manufacturing value chain. HoloSolis initially aimed to start commercial operations in 2025 and gradually reach full production capacity of 5 GW from 2027 onward, focusing on TOPCon solar technology. In November 2025, the company completed a total financing round of €220 million, adding two new family investors contributing over €13 million.
With this investment, Ecolab joins existing HoloSolis investors including InnoEnergy, Heraeus, TSE, IDEC Groupe, and Armor Group.
In addition to HoloSolis, Ecolab has also invested in low-carbon iron producer GravitHy, which plans to operate a plant in Fos-sur-Mer, with production expected to begin in 2030. Ecolab did not specify the exact allocation of the €100 million across the two projects. The company stated that beyond financial support, it will contribute its expertise in water management and industrial performance optimization to help energy- and water-intensive industries transition to more sustainable operational models. The company expects the investment to boost local economic development and create approximately 2,500 high-skilled jobs in the relevant regions.
The investment was announced at the "Choose France" summit. Ecolab stated that this initiative reflects its commitment to combining industrial performance with sustainability and supporting the growth of a competitive, low-carbon European industry. French Minister Delegate for Ecological Transition Mathieu Lefèvre remarked at the summit that the investment demonstrates France's ability to attract global companies to invest in future industries, and that projects like HoloSolis and GravitHy will help accelerate economic decarbonization and create high-skilled jobs.
The announcement of Ecolab's investment in HoloSolis comes as another French solar photovoltaic startup, Carbon, after more than four years of development efforts, has had to shelve its plans to build a gigafactory in France due to a lack of suitable market conditions and policy support.
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