Current energy and environmental targets are driving rapid growth in the European photovoltaic park. This means that the recycling of PV panels, as well as the supply of silicon, will gradually become more important issues. At present, PV recycling is organized at national level, with different technologies and varying degrees of recycling. Meanwhile, most of the silicon used in PV panels installed in Europe is produced in China, creating a critical raw material dependency issue.
FORESi is a 3-year collaboration that will address both of those needs (silicon production and recycling). Firstly, the team will review the state-of-the-art on European practices for the recycling of end-of-life PV panels. Then the project team will develop the sustainable recovery of end-of-life PV panels: the panels will be tested for reuse or repair; if this is not possible, an innovative process will be applied to dismantle them to get the raw material silicon extracted. New technologies will be utilized to purify the silicon to a level of purity sufficient to produce new PV panels and batteries.
Through this process, FORESi will cover each step of the circular PV recycling value chain. The aim is to later replicate the innovative concept in European countries creating resilient value chains and contributing to sustainable energy sovereignty for Europe. The project is ground-breaking at EU level and will hopefully be implemented with success. It has received funding from the European Commission's Horizon Programme.
