Europe's First Solar Panel Recycling Plant Opens in France

As the sun sets on many solar panels in the UK after their 25-year lifecycle, these energy-generating giants are being taken down from rooftops across the country. For years, the process following their removal involved sending them off to general glass recycling facilities. While this method has its merits, it often leads to significant material wastage. At best, only glass and aluminum are salvaged, while the rest ends up being incinerated in cement kilns.

But times are changing.

1,300 tonnes of recycled solar panels

This year marks a turning point in Europe’s sustainable energy journey. The continent’s very first solar-panel recycling plant has opened its doors in France, with an initial goal to recycle 1,300 tonnes of solar panels in 2018 alone. Partnering with the solar-recycling organization PV Recycle France, this plant aims to ramp up its capacity dramatically, targeting 4,000 tonnes by 2022.

Leading this groundbreaking initiative is Veolia, a prominent French water-and-waste management company. Veolia reports that the growing volume of aging PV panels being removed from rooftops has reached a critical mass, making the establishment of such a facility both timely and necessary.

Inside the recycling process

Veolia’s state-of-the-art machinery will break down solar panels into their core components, ensuring that every bit of material is reused. This includes glass, silicon, copper, silver, and various plastics. Their vision extends far beyond France, aiming to establish dedicated solar-panel recycling as the global norm within the industry.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), investing in specialized recycling plants is not just environmentally responsible but economically advantageous as well. IRENA projects that recovered PV materials could be worth $450 million (£343 million) by 2020, skyrocketing to over $15 billion (£11 million) by 2050.

A brighter future ahead

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