en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 13, 2026, French photovoltaic project developer and solar module manufacturer Reden (acquired in 2022 by a consortium led by Macquarie Asset Management) announced the closure of its solar panel assembly plant in Rodez-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron, Occitanie, southern France. The plant, which began operations in December 2024 with a capacity of 200 MW, was intended to help the energy producer control part of the photovoltaic value chain. However, after investing nearly €4.5 million in modernizing the production line, the facility, which had been operating for less than three years, decided to cease operations.

Florence Burhin, Group Communications Director, told pv magazine that the plant was no longer financially sustainable. Faced with fierce competition from Asian manufacturers and a lack of effective industrial preference in European procurement decisions, the assembly plant quickly incurred losses. Due to the loss of competitiveness and the structural deficit deemed irreversible, Reden chose to cut its losses before the situation jeopardized the continuity and long-term viability of its other businesses, particularly in the agrivoltaics sector.

Insiders noted that the growing competitiveness gap with Asian manufacturers left no economically viable alternatives. European and French initiatives, such as the Net-Zero Industry Act, the Industrial Acceleration Act, and the Solar Agreement, have so far failed to produce sufficiently tangible results to support European or French photovoltaic manufacturing. Nine employees are directly affected by the closure of the assembly plant, and all will be offered reassignment opportunities within the group.

Following the closure of the Reden plant and the former EDF Renewables subsidiary Photowatt, which shut down in January 2025, Alsace-based company Voltec is now the only photovoltaic panel manufacturer in France.