Western Australian-based resources company Lithium Universe has agreed to a four-year research collaboration with Macquarie University through the CSIRO Industry PhD Program to develop its solar panel recycling technology.
The joint project aims to refine a microwave-assisted delamination process that selectively heats encapsulant layers within end-of-life solar modules, allowing intact separation and recovery of higher-purity glass, silicon, silver and other metals for reuse.
The collaboration will examine microwave system design, process parameters, module variability, recovered-material quality, lifecycle impacts and scale-up requirements.
“The objective is to separate the module layers intact and without cross-contamination, enabling the recovery of glass, silicon and metals in forms suitable for reuse in new products,” Lithium Universe said in a statement.
The Perth-based company said the project will provide it with access to CSIRO and Macquarie University expertise and facilities, adding independent scientific credibility to its solar-panel recycling technology.
Lithium Universe Chief Executive Officer Iggy Tan said the project is an endorsement of the company’s technology and will help reduce research and development costs, support pilot-scale design and commercial modelling.
“The project brings together complementary research and industry capabilities to address a growing challenge: recovering higher-value materials from end-of-life solar panels rather than consigning them to landfill,” he said.
“For Lithium Universe, the program provides a structured pathway to advance microwave-assisted delamination from laboratory proof-of-concept towards a scalable commercial process.”
Government data shows Australia currently generates approximately 3 million end-of-life solar panels, or 60,000 tonnes, annually, with annual waste forecast to increase to approximately 91,000 tonnes by 2030.
Globally, annual PV module retirements are projected to reach approximately 500,000 tonnes by 2030 and more than 19 million tonnes per annum by 2060.
Lithium Universe said each solar panel contains approximately 20 grams of silver, implying approximately 60 tonnes of contained silver in Australia’s current annual end-of-life panel stream alone.
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