Reintegration of photovoltaic panel waste back into manufacturing as high value
RETRIEVE (reintegration of photovoltaic panel waste back into manufacturing as high value) aims to combine PV upstream value chain organizations with beyond state-of-the-art recycling processes and techniques to improve circularity .
Factsheet
- Schools involved School of Engineering and Computer Science
- Institute(s) Institute for Data Applications and Security (IDAS)
- Research unit(s) IDAS / Management Science, Innovation, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship (MSIE)
- Strategic thematic field Thematic field "Sustainable Development"
- Funding organisation Europäische Union
- Duration (planned) 01.10.2023 - 31.03.2027
- Head of project Prof. Dr. Stefan Grösser
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Partner
Institutt for energiteknikk
IFE Invest AS
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderu
REC Solar Norway AS
NorSun AS
Iberdrola S.A.
ACCIÓ - Agència per la Competitivitat de l'Empresa
Institute of higher Education King Danylo University
Türkiye Şişe ve Cam Fabrikaları A.Ş
UAB Valoe Cells
UAB SoliTek R&D
Barna Steel S.A.
Ferimet SL
TotalEnergies One Tech
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
RPIA – Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Associaltion
Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek - Keywords Circular Economy, photovoltaic system, recycling, reuse, business model, information system, product passport, platform
Situation
Europe has been extremely dependent on the PV panels brought from non-European suppliers. RETRIEVE tackles the raw material independence of Europe and will convert the forecasted influx of outdated panels into valuable resources for the manufacture of Europe-made photovoltaic panels, supporting in parallel the growth of the aspiring PV recycling industry. The bold and comprehensive approach proposed in RETRIEVE will reduce dependency on primary raw materials through the circular use of resources, sustainable products and innovation whilst strengthening domestic sourcing of raw materials in the EU.
Course of action
The project involves multiple partners, including research organizations, private companies, and higher education institutions, working collaboratively to develop innovative solutions. For instance, the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) is contributing its expertise in material analysis and process optimization to improve the quality of recycled materials for reintegration into the photovoltaic value chain (Deutsch - Fraunhofer IMWS). Additionally, RETRIEVE aligns with the EU's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, which mandates producers to finance the collection, treatment, recovery, and disposal of PV waste,
