Photovoltaic panels

problem and opportunity

The photovoltaic technology (PV) is one of the most eco-friendly and promising for our planet:

Energy security

Cliamate change reduction

5x

Therefore, the global solar PV modules reached an installed capacity of 940 GW in 2021 and according to the International Energy Agency this value is predicted to increase to 5 TW by 2050.

Beyond mechanical treatment

The process recovers aluminum from frames, glass granule and copper granules after sieving the shredded mixed waste. Mechanical treatment based on shredding PV panels is the only recycling approach currently available on an industrial scale, but its low yield still has prevented PV panels recycling to become a cost-effective activity.

This glass, which typically contains numerous impurities, is recycled, but the remaining powder, which contains Silicon and Silver in addition to glass and plastic, is sent to landfills or used in extremely low-value applications to replace sand.

These plants only recover up to 147 €/ton from the recovered materials (Boris Lesjean, Veolia, EIT RawMaterials Expert Forum 2022), which is less than 30 percent of the potential value that could be achieved if Silver and Silicon were also recycled. Thus, with these solutions "it remains difficult to find a business model to support the operation" (Bertrand Lempkowicz, PV Cycle).

Low value recovered

Resources wastage

Materials value

Considering the rapid increase of the PV waste generation, proper management of end-of-life PV panels with recovery of precious materials is an urgent issue that requires both cost-effective and environmentally sustainable solutions.

A future made of PV waste?

The usual lifetime of a PV panel is roughly 25 years. Since the first installations date back to the 2000’s, a significant rise in the yearly flow of end-of-life PV panels may be expected around 2025.

9-Tech Process

The groundbreaking method for photovoltaic panels recycling

Highly efficient

Leveraging optimized processes and mechanical separation, 9PV recovers all raw materials with more than 95% of their economic value, significantly surpassing traditional methods in efficiency and material purity.

Energy autonomy

The process utilises controlled combustion of EVA encapsulant for high energy efficiency and incorporates heat recovery, eliminating energy costs and material wear associated with mechanical grinding.

Fully automated process

The fully automated system operates around the clock, enhancing productivity and reducing labour costs.

Versatility

9PV adeptly handles broken panels and automatically sorts through PV waste, showcasing its flexible processing capabilities.

Real zero-waste process

It completely avoids the creation of waste, including hazardous waste water and plastic fractions, that currently represent a cost for recycling plants.

Value-generating process

The process can produce high-value silicon powder from recovered silicon, suitable for lithium-ion battery anodes. This not only represents a significant technological leap but also offers considerable economic and environmental benefits.

Starting from the know-how aquired in the ReSiELP project, since 2020 9-Tech has developed a new, efficient and cost-effective process.

The thermo-mechanical treatment has been validated in our pilot plant and is being industrialized, but there are many more studies going on for the complete valorisation of raw materials from pv panels recycling.