The European Commission has selected 77 net-zero technology projects for €3.4 billion in Innovation Fund support 
This includes HoloSolis’ planned 5 GW TOPCon solar cell and module factory in France  
Belgium’s ReGAIN project for germanium foils for solar cells is among one of the selected projects 
HoloSolis, which is developing a 5 GW solar PV manufacturing factory in France, is among the 77 net-zero technology projects across 23 countries in the European Economic Area selected by the European Commission for €3.4 billion in funding under its Innovation Fund. 
Selected as the SOLAR4EU project, HoloSolis plans to establish a 5 GW solar cells and modules integrated factory in Hambach, France. It will manufacture n-type TOPCon modules on highly automated production lines, creating over 2,000 jobs. 
According to the commission, the solar factory will reinforce the European solar value chain and reduce the country’s reliance on solar PV outside the EU. 
Backed by French real estate group IDEC Group, solar energy producer TSE, and EIT InnoEnergy, HoloSolis was initially announced in May 2023 to build a 5 GW solar module factory in the Sarreguemines region of France. The factory is designed to produce 10 million TOPCon solar panels annually. The original plan was to begin operations in 2025 and ramp up production in 2027 (see Another French Solar Gigafactory). 
The French company has secured a TOPCon patent license from Trinasolar (see HoloSolis Secures Trinasolar’s TOPCon Patent License For French Factory).  
HoloSolis is one among the 12 clean tech manufacturing projects selected under the latest EU Innovation Fund round. Together, these projects have sought a combined €895 million in EU support for the manufacturing of solar panels, heat pumps, electrolyzers, and electric-vehicle batteries. 
Among other solar manufacturing projects selected in this round is UMICORE SA’s ReGAIN project in Belgium. It plans to establish a first-of-a-kind pilot production line for foils used in the manufacturing of high-performance solar cells. It is intended to replace single-use germanium wafer production with an advanced circular process wherein each wafer can be used multiple times. 
The TALOS project of Greece-based ANONIMI ETAIRIA DIAXEIRISIS ANANEOSIMON PIGON ENERGEIAS is also among the selected projects in this round. It will construct a large-scale renewable microgrid on the island of Crete, coupling solar and wind farms with a 400 MWh solid-flow battery. The battery energy storage system (BESS) will provide 400 MWh of storage capacity, which it claims can deliver electricity continuously for around 10 hours at a full 40 MW rating. This will displace diesel generation and provide multi-hour energy shifting and grid stability for the island’s power network. 
EDF Renouvelables’ BESS-4-C project in Perquie, France, will provide location-specific congestion management for the grid, absorbing excess solar electricity and easing local grid bottlenecks. 
These projects will now enter grant agreement preparations with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Results will be announced in Q1 2027. 
Among the large-scale battery storage manufacturing projects is PowerCo Battery’s Spanish project to produce up to 27 GWh/year of high-density prismatic lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells for electric vehicles, powered by renewable electricity. LG Energy Solution’s ArisEU project will build and commission a 9 GWh/year LFP battery cell manufacturing plant in Poland for EVs. 
A list of all the projects selected in this EU Innovation Fund round launched in December 2025 is available on the Commission’s website.  
According to the Commission, this round takes the Innovation Fund’s portfolio to around 320 projects with almost €17 billion in grants committed. In the previous round, it picked 61 projects, including floating solar and agrivoltaics, for €2.9 billion in funding (see 61 Net-Zero Technology Projects Win EU’s Innovation Fund). 
The next round of Innovation Fund calls is scheduled for early December 2026, and will comprise €1 billion for clean tech manufacturing ‘to support the derisking of supply chains in line with the RESourceEU Action Plan’. 
Under the RESourceEU Action Plan, the EU aims to reduce its reliance on third countries for critical raw materials, targeting a reduction of up to 50% by 2029 across battery, rare earths, and defense-related supply chains. For instance, the bloc plans to lower its dependence on a single third country for battery raw materials such as lithium from 89% in 2025 to 64% by 2030. 
TaiyangNews 2024

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