Spanish electric utility firm Iberdrola and industrial waste management company FCC Ámbitohave inked a strategic collaboration agreement to fosterthe industrial-scale recycling of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, as reported by PV Tech on March 15. Under the agreement, the two companies will monitor and trial applications of new treatment technologies that could be developed in the short- or medium-term, in a move to improve recycling methods for solar panels. For instance, they will study the feasibility of reusing the materials obtained in the treatment processes as secondary raw materials in the production of new PV panels. They aim to ultimately achieve a 100% recyclability of PV panel materials.

The agreement builds on the two firms’ previous partnership in developing circularity solutions for the wind power industry. In May 2022, Iberdrola and FCC Ámbito jointly established Energyloop, a company dedicated to developing technologies for recycling wind farm components. Last year, Energyloop started construction of Spain’s first blade recycling plant in Navarre, a region where a number of the country’s leading wind farms are located. The blade components recycled at the plant, mostly glass, carbon fibers, and resins, will be reused in various sectors such as energy, aerospace, automotive, textiles, and construction. Furthermore, the two companies are also exploring further opportunities to develop advanced recycling solutions for other components of renewable facilities.

Sources:

https://www.pv-tech.org/iberdrola-fcc-sign-agreement-to-promote-solar-pv-panel-recycling/

https://www.iberdrola.com/press-room/news/detail/iberdrola-and-fcc-sign-an-agreement-for-the-industrial-recycling-of-photovoltaic-panels

https://www.iberdrola.com/press-room/news/detail/iberdrola-and-fcc-launch-energyloop-to-lead-the-way-in-wind-turbine-blade-recycling