Panel Recycling and Integrated Solar Material

Introduction

IRENA (2016) estimates that the cumulative PV panels waste volumes will reach 78M tons by 2050 (8M tons by 2030). PV panels contain silver and silicon, which if recycled, represent a source of valuable and critical raw materials for the energy transition ($80B by 2050).

Current Recycling Challenges

Today, many recycling facilities only recover bulk materials like aluminum frames and low-quality front glass. The remaining material is often incinerated, disposed of, or down-cycled, even though it contains silver and silicon, which together account for two-thirds of the monetary value of a silicon PV panel’s materials.

SOLAR MATERIALS' Solution

To take advantage of this opportunity, SOLAR MATERIALS has developed a patented layer-by-layer thermo-mechanical recycling process based on infra-red heating to de-laminate and recover all valuable raw materials contained in PV panels.

Unique Process

SOLAR MATERIALS’ recycling process is the first in the world to recover all raw materials from solar modules in an economical and energy-efficient way. This enables us to achieve the highest profitability in the industry (EBITDA margin of 50%), even with recycling fees at 50% lower than current prices.

Market Interest

Solar park owners (Enerparc) and leading metal smelters and refineries in Europe (Stemin, Umicore) have already formally expressed their interest in our recycling services and material products.

Validated Sales Prices

Moreover, we have validated our sales prices with quotes and analysis for:

1. Glass (PreZero, Reiling)
2. Copper cables (Remondis)
3. Aluminum (Stemin, Hydro)
4. Silver (Umicore)
5. Silicon (Circular Silicon)

Project Goals

With this project, we will set up and operate an industrial-sized commercial PV module recycling plant in Germany with the capacity to process 8,400 tons of PV panel waste per year.

Future Expansion

By 2033, we expect to own and operate 33 recycling facilities globally, with a cumulated annual capacity of 277M tons. By then, we would have recovered:

• 710 tons of silver
• 46,381 tons of silicon
• 215,237 tons of aluminum

This accounts for over 4.5M tons of avoided CO2-eq emissions.