European projects

Photovoltaic panels

Apulia, Batteries, Battery Anodes, Ferroalloys, Photovoltaic cells, Photovoltaic panels recycling, Refurbishment, RIS capacity building, Silicon

European projects

The Parsival Project is a RIS Capacity Building project that started on January 1, 2023 and will go on for two years coordinated by 9-Tech.

The goal of the Project is to mobilize the knowledge triangle and create a Europe-wide network around the challenge of recovery and reuse of materials from end-of-life photovoltaic panels, particularly silicon (Critical Raw Material).

RIS capacity building projects must aim to solve territorial problems, related to the issue of raw material retrieval, recycling and reuse in RIS (Regional Innovation Scheme) areas. Apulia is located in a RIS area (Southern Italy) and is experiencing an increase in the problem of end-of-life panel disposal. In fact, Apulia is the first Italian region in terms of installed photovoltaic power (2.9 GW), and since photovoltaic panels have a lifespan of about 25 years and the boom in photovoltaic installations took place around the 2000s, a significant rise of decommissioned solar panels is expected to be managed in the coming years (245,000 tons within the next 15 years). In addition, there are currently no dedicated treatment facilities for photovoltaic waste in this region.

This problem is common to other European regions, for example Extremadura in Spain, which is also an RIS area.

The project aims to build the framework for refurbishment and recycling facilities for end-of-life photovoltaic panels in these areas. In this way it will be possible to allocate the repairable panels to a second life and the materials recovered from the panels that can no longer be reused, to different supply chains. For silicon, three different applications will be studied during the project:

silicon-based ferroalloys;
material for battery anodes;
production of new photovoltaic cells.

The success of the project, which also includes an educational part, may benefit these areas but also other European countries.

Partners of the project

Four partners are involved from four countries (Italy, France, Germany, Spain):

9-TECH (IT)

Coordination.
Feasibility study to implement its own recycling process in Apulia Region.
Supply of the recovered silicon/aluminum cells to study different applications.

ENEA (IT)

Research on a treatment process to make recovered silicon suitable for application in lithium-ion battery anodes.
Communication and dissemination activities.

CEA (FR)

Support to the feasibility study for the implementation of a photovoltaic panel treatment plant in the Apulia Region to repair and reuse end-of-life modules.

ERION (IT)

Analysis of photovoltaic installations in Apulia and forecast of photovoltaic waste streams.
Contribution to the feasibility study for the implementation of a photovoltaic reprocessing/recycling plant in Apulia.

JPM SILICON (DE)

Validating purification processes to make recovered silicon suitable for various applications, especially photovoltaic.

FUNDACION GOMEZ PARDO (ES)

Study to apply the results of studies in Spain, Extremadura.

UNIVERSITA’ DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA (IT)

Research on a treatment process to produce silicon-based Ferroalloys from recovered photovoltaic cells.
Training and scientific dissemination activities.

UNIVERSITA’ DEGLI STUDI DEL SALENTO (IT)

Higher education and dissemination initiatives in Apulia on the topic of recycling.

NORCSI (DE)

Construction and validation of anodes and batteries using silicon recovered from end-of-life photovoltaic panels.

EVERPV is a Horizon european research project connecting sixteen partners aiming to study photovoltaic panels recycling, combining the most advanced technologies available.

By one side, many PV panels made of precious materials need a recovery plan.

On the other hand Europe is facing issues with the supply of materials that can have an impact on energy sovereignity.

EVERPV will address both issues by developing innovative and efficient recycling routes that allow panel materials to be recovered and reused with high purity.

Project goals

Demonstration and optimization of the abrasion process developed by CEA for the delamination of photovoltaic panels
Demonstration and optimization of the IR process developed by ENEA for the delamination of photovoltaic panels
Validation of recovery with high purity of the materials present in the solar panel
Demonstrate the reusability of recovered materials

9-Tech is participating actively in the project, not only supporting with its experience the development of both the technologies studied, but even evaluating how they can integrate with its 9PV thermo-mechanical process.

For this reason, tests will be carried out in the experimental plant on samples sent by ENEA and CEA from which the backsheet has been removed using abrasion and IR technology.

The project is of great interest for 9-Tech because, in the event that the integration proves favorable, one of the technologies could in the future be integrated with the new industrial panel treatment line.