The EU project PHOTORAMA (PHOtovoltaic waste management – advanced Technologies for recOvery & recycling of secondary RAw MAterials from end-of-life modules), in which ZSI was responsible for the social science content, has developed a revolutionary technology for PV recycling. By designing an associated pilot line for a circular economy model and establishing a market for secondary raw materials, a further building block for a sustainable future in Europe has been created.
With this innovation project, PHOTORAMA is paving the way for the recycling of millions of tonnes of old photovoltaic waste. The results are promising: according to initial estimates, the recycling of around 1,200 tonnes of PV panels could save over 3,800 tonnes of CO2 equivalents. This is comparable to the emissions of almost a thousand cars driven for a year. In view of the millions of tonnes of PV waste expected in the future, there is great potential for separating and reusing materials such as glass, aluminium, copper, silver, indium and silicon from old solar cells. The pilot plants required for this will be set up in a real industrial environment by the end of 2024.
In addition to research institutions such as SINTEF and the ZSI, several companies are working on the project to develop and implement the technology. These include LuxChemtech GmbH, Maltha, Mondragon Assembly S.Coop, ENEL Green Power and the Austrian company RHP Technology Gmbh.
As a result and in recognition of its work, PHOTORAMA has won the European Sustainable Energy Week Innovation Award (EUSEW Awards) for the year 2024. The Innovation Award recognises outstanding individuals and projects for their innovations and efforts in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The award ceremony gave the ZSI team the opportunity to report on its awareness-raising activities. The prize was presented to the project team by the EU Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson.
