Carbon’s gigafactory project in Fos-sur-Mer, designed to build a 5 GW integrated solar manufacturing chain in France, has been abandoned due to insufficient regulatory visibility and investor guarantees. Despite attempts to scale down and pursue partnerships, including with Chinese manufacturer Longi, the project collapsed amid uncertainty over EU industrial policy and market preference mechanisms.
May 19, 2026
From pv magazine France
“The story ends here, but our convictions remain.” With these words, the founders of French startup Carbon announced the abandonment of their gigafactory project.
Designated a “Project of Major National Interest” (PINM), the module gigafactory embodied France’s ambition to reshore part of the photovoltaic value chain, from solar cells to finished modules. Located in Fos-sur-Mer, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of southern France, the manufacturing facility was planned for an annual capacity of 5 GW, representing an estimated €1.5 billion ($1.74 billion) investment.
