Latest report from the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) finds measurable advancements in PV module recycling performance compared to its prior studies, including higher material recovery rates, improved process yields and higher output purity.
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From pv magazine Global
PV module recycling is making “meaningful advancement” across both commercial and pilot-scale technologies, according to a new report from the IEA-PVPS.
The latest Task 12 report presents new and updated life cycle inventory (LCI) data. Its sources include two U.S.-based commercial crystalline silicon (c-Si) module recyclers, Solarcycle and SPR, Italian pilot-scale c-Si module recycler 9-Tech, the EU-funded Photorama project and updated global LCI data on cadmium telluride (CdTe) modules from U.S.-based thin-film solar module specialist First Solar.
The report says that, in comparison to prior Task 12 studies, the research found measurable advancements in PV module recycling performance across higher material recovery rates, improved process yields and higher output purity.
It says recovery rates for high-value materials have “improved significantly” compared to a 2024 study, when the pure-mechanical benchmark recycling technology did not recover silicon or silver. “In the current study, SPR reports recovery of 98 weight percent (wt. %) of input silicon using a pure-mechanical process at commercial scale, while 9-Tech achieves 95 wt. % silicon recovery in a pilot-scale system that employs mechanical, thermal and chemical recycling processes,” the report explains.
IEA-PVPS also highlights the recovery of non-ferrous metals, including silver, aluminum, and copper, which the report says represents “a new capability for mechanical processes at scale.” “Solarcycle reports recovery of nearly 92 wt. % for silver and approximately 95 wt.% for copper, while SPR reports 99% copper recovery,” the report continues. “In its pilot-scale system, 9-Tech achieves recovery rates of 95 wt. % for copper, 90 wt. % for silver, and 90 wt. % for aluminum. First Solar reports recovery of more than 90 wt. % for the semiconductor material and more than 90 wt. % of metals beyond the semiconductor materials.”
The report then notes developments in output purity, further enhancing the value of recovering materials. “In the current study, Photorama achieves 5N purity for silicon and greater than 2N purity for silver,” IEA-PVPS’ results add. “SPR reports 99% purity for recovered copper and other trace metals through mechanical processing, while 9-Tech achieves up to 95% purity for copper and silver in recovered metallic powders.”
Glass recovery has progressed on 2024 levels, IEA-PVPS’ report continues, explaining that advances in mechanical, thermal and other separation approaches, such as flash lamp separation and water jet cleaning, can achieve high glass yield and purity but may require more energy than pure mechanical processes.
IEA-PVPS’ report outlines that applications for the reuse of recovered materials is expanding. It says recovered silicon is being used for battery anodes, sputter targets, and metallurgical grade applications while non-ferrous metals are sent to metal recyclers, smelters, and refineries, helping to reduce reliance on new resources. The report also finds evidence of glass recovery being reused in flat glass production.
Despite the overall progress, the report stresses that there are persistent gaps in material quality reporting, system boundary harmonization and energy-use characterization. It also suggests that additional information on downstream use and treatment pathways would help future efforts to quantify material recovery, energy recovery and landfill disposal, in turn improving assessment of reuse pathways in future updates.
“Continued collaboration among recyclers, researchers, policymakers, and standard-setting bodies will be essential to improve data consistency, guide research and development priorities and support the development of circular, high-value pathways for PV materials,” IEA-PVPS’ report concludes. “A forthcoming Task 12 study will develop life cycle assessment-based analyses to assess life-cycle implications across different PV recycling pathways.”
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More articles from Patrick Jowett
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