The 9PV-up project represents the turning point by which 9-Tech transforms its PV panel recycling technology into a concrete and replicable industrial solution. The new plant, under construction in Porto Marghera, Venice, will enable the recovery of up to 90 percent by weight of modules and more than 95 percent of their material value, returning high-purity glass, aluminum, copper, silicon and silver. Implementation will begin in 2026 and will mark a decisive step toward a circular PV supply chain in Italy and around the world.
Project goals
The 9PV-up project is the decisive step in turning an experimental technology into a concrete industrial solution. Through 9PV-up, 9-Tech will move from TRL6 to TRL8 maturity level, thus completing the process scaling and optimization path.
Thus, the world’s first industrial plant based on 9-Tech‘s patented technology will rise in Porto Marghera (Venice); it will have a capacity of about 600 kg/h and will allow recovery:
- 390 kg/h of glass
- 90 kg/h of aluminum
- 15 kg/h of silicon
- 4 kg/h of copper
- 0.2 kg/h silver
Plant parts
Project time and cost
Construction of the plant will begin in January 2026 and will be completed by the end of 2026.
During the first half of 2027, all sections of the process will be optimized for maximum efficiency. The environmental impact will then be verified with an LCA analysis carried out by the University of Padua, and several potential buyers of the recovered raw materials will also be involved and contacted, with the aim of validating the business case and consolidating the economic sustainability of the technology on an industrial scale.
The project will be able to cover part of the development costs through a grant of 1,000,000 (of which 400,000 euros will be non-repayable) under the VENETO ERDF PR 2021-2027 Action 1.1.4 “Support for excellent research and innovation project proposals.”
Future developments
Through the 9PV-up project, 9-Tech lays the foundation for a new generation of sustainable industrial plants that combine technological innovation, value recovery and environmental protection.
The Porto Marghera site will be the first concrete example of how the circular economy can close the loop for renewable technologies as well.
Once demonstrated on an industrial scale, by 2027, 9-Tech technology can be replicated at other sites in Italy and abroad, contributing to the emergence of a new circular photovoltaic supply chain.
In collaboration with
The other projects on PV recycling
A project to support the marketing of services to address the problem of PV waste management
European project to study the recycling of photovoltaic panels with the most advanced available technologies
Discover the other 9-Tech projects for the recycling of photovoltaic panels
The project aims to further refine the innovative and sustainable process for recycling end-of-life PV panels by increasing the IRL from 5 to 7.
Parsival aims to solve territorial problems relating to the procurement, recycling and reuse of raw materials in RIS areas.
The innovative process for recovering materials from photovoltaic panels tested on a pilot scale.
