Horizon 2020: Photorama
Recycling of Photovoltaic (PV) panels and recovery of Raw Materials (RM)
The biggest common priorities across the globe for the next decades is to reduce world’s carbon emission and keep the global temperature rise this century below 2°C. Renewable energies are at the forefront to achieve such an ambitious challenge, and more particularly solar energy as the lowest-cost alternative.
The growth of solar electricity generation is expected to reach a cumulative capacity of 2840 GW by 2030 and 8519 GW by 2050, which is equivalent to eighteen times the global capacity of 2018. Although Photovoltaic (PV) systems provide zero-emission power generation through their lifespan of 25-30 years, it is crucial to ensure sustainable products over the whole lifecycle. While strong efforts have been invested for the manufacturing stage to reduce environmental impacts, the End-of-Life (EoL) of PV devices remains a major challenge that PHOTORAMA will tackle with smart and efficient solutions.
Objectives
- To develop trailblazing technologies to implement a strong and reliable PV recycling scheme
- To demonstrate innovative recycling solutions with a pilot line that is at TRL 7
- To demonstrate full circularity by re-injecting the secondary rare materials in interdisciplinary value chain
- To drive market adoption of PHOTORAMA technologies as sustainable solutions
- To strengthen sustainable waste management actions under the EIP framework