Taiwan will produce 100,000 metric tons of photovoltaic panels annually starting in 2035, and proper recycling poses a major challenge. The "2023 Smart City Expo and Net Zero City Expo" opened yesterday (28th) at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. A team from the University of Tainan and industry players have developed a world-leading photovoltaic panel disassembly technology. The disassembly method uses intelligent calculations and does not require water, heat, or chemical reactions, achieving 100% complete disassembly and recycling of photovoltaic panels.
Starting in 2035, 100,000 tons of waste photovoltaic panels will be produced annually, but manual disassembly and recycling are low.
The increasing share of renewable energy is also creating new waste problems. The Environmental Protection Administration estimates that Taiwan will see a wave of photovoltaic panel retirements starting in 2031, with approximately 100,000 metric tons of waste photovoltaic panels generated annually starting in 2035. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) estimates that waste photovoltaic panels will account for approximately 1% of global waste in the future.
Photovoltaic panels are a "sandwich structure," consisting of translucent glass, solar cells, and a fluorine-containing backsheet, held together with EVA rubber and secured with an aluminum frame. A team from the University of National Tainan and Dong Hong Corporation have recently developed a unique technology that uses both physical and mechanical disassembly to achieve 100% complete recycling of solar panels.
Hong Jiacong, co-founder and CEO of Hon Tan Corporation, which participated in the research and development of the National University of Tainan team and was later established under the guidance of the National Science Council, explained that photovoltaic panels are made of different materials glued together. If they are physically disassembled manually, there are parts that are difficult to separate. Most of them are broken up and downgraded to be used as building materials, road fillers or enter incinerators. The only thing that can be effectively reused is the aluminum frame.
In addition, there are approximately 20,000 sizes of photovoltaic panels worldwide, and as many as 1,400 in Taiwan. Simple machine disassembly cannot cover all sizes.
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Because chemical decomposition of photovoltaic panels produces harmful substances, the mainstream international disposal method is physical disassembly. Hong Jiacong pointed out that currently, only two companies in Taiwan, Dong Hong and Jin Yi Ding, engage in manual physical disassembly. However, the new technology developed by the University of National Tainan and Dong Hong uses intelligent detection and learning of the different sizes and shapes of photovoltaic panels to calculate the optimal disassembly method, breaking the limitations of manual or simple machine disassembly and achieving 100% complete disassembly and recycling.
Hong Jiacong pointed out that the new technology has been verified by the National Science Council and can achieve 100% complete disassembly and recycling, which is higher than the EU "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive" (WEEE) requirement that each solar panel must have an 80% recycling rate.
"20 kilograms of materials (waste photovoltaic panels) go in, and 20 kilograms of recycled materials can come out," Hong Jiacong emphasized, emphasizing that the entire process does not use water, heat, or produce any chemical reactions.
Industry insiders stated that the equipment, which has received a subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, will be built in a new plant and production line adjacent to the Tung Hong Corporation's Taoyuan plant, with production expected to begin in June of this year. The new plant will have a maximum annual processing capacity of 10,000 metric tons, with an estimated initial processing capacity of approximately 2,500 metric tons per year.
Source: Environmental Information Center (https://e-info.org.tw/node/236404)
