On 23rd May, the EVERPV and ReSilex co-hosted a joint workshop in Brussels, on advancing circular solutions in the PV industry.
Nouha Gazbour from the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), and Francisco J. Luque (Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster) respectively presented the EVERPV and ReSilex projects, their objectives, expected outcomes, added value and technologies developed. Afterwards, SolarPower Europe’s Junior Policy Advisor on Supply Chain Diversification, Emma Dominici delivered a comprehensive overview of the Critical Raw Materials Act, emphasising its practical implementation, and relevance for the solar sector. She delved into the topic of recycling, discussing EU targets, strategic projects, and the role of polysilicon in the solar PV industry.
Workshop attendees were divided into groups to discuss how the projects can contribute to EU policy objectives. The audience was divided into three topical groups:
- Scaling up the technology
- Closed loop recycling (within the solar PV industry)
- Open loop recycling (with industries other than solar PV)
The main takeaways of the workshop focused on stakeholders’ engagement, and cost of recycling and standardisation.
Specifically, groups highlighted how engaging the right stakeholders is crucial to bridge the gap between research and industry, and to identify synergies across sectors. This is essential due to the limited number of companies in Europe capable of taking recovered materials, especially silicon. Furthermore, workshop participants outlined how the high costs of recycling processes, managing small quantities of certain materials (indium and gallium), and ensuring sufficient waste flows need to be addressed, to enhance the sector’s profitability. Finally, it was agreed that standardisation should be implemented at multiple stages, including with ecodesign rules to make it easier to recycle solar PV modules and exclude certain materials, such as fluoropolymers. Recycling processes across the industry should be harmonised. Policy support can also help increase the sustainability of the PV industry.
Many thanks to the speakers for sharing their insights, and to all participants for their active participation in the discussions!
