“Investments in this area, not just for us but for others, were not worthwhile,” said Siemens chief executive Peter Löscher while discussing the German industrial group’s financial third-quarter results.

“The fact is that solar needs restructuring within Siemens...can be expected, and we will deliver on this,” added Löscher, without elaborating further.

Löscher said CSP has developed more slowly than expected as “governments and states that were well suited by their sun hours did not have the liquidity and we have seen a lot of programme stops”.

He