The project included technical and demonstration work, innovation activities, and management work. Based on existing technologies which were developed by the ELSi partners in previous projects, the ELSi plant and recycling process were designed and the different plant components were built. Here it was necessary to realize a cost efficient pyrolysis process in accordance to all relevant environmental and work safety regulations.
It could be demonstrated that the ELSi process enables the separation of end-of-life PV modules into their valuable fractions aluminum, silver, copper and relatively low-cost materials like silicon and glass. The recovered materials will be sold to raw material suppliers and can enter e.g. new production processes of PV modules.
The operation of the ELSi pilot unit will continue also after project end with the target to provide a certified solution for industrial PV module recycling.
Further, the project work included two topics which are essential for a successful market penetration: Regulations and logistics. The work on regulations identified relevant directives, laws and other issues both concerning manufacturers and suppliers of PV modules and the recyclers. In Europe, the most important regulatory issue is the WEEE directive with their different implementation in the country members. These regulations are among the key factors which make it necessary for suppliers of PV modules to have access to a solution for the recycling of their PV modules. The work on logistics provided a concept that ensures that end-of-life PV modules from Germany and other European countries can be collected and transported to the nearest ELSi recycling site at minimum cost. Here the partners could base on the established collection network of SUEZ.
The ELSi project and its results were communicated by a wide range of dissemination activities, including the website (www.elsi-pv.eu) industrial exhibitions, project flyers and an industrial workshop on PV module recycling held in Terrassa, Barcelona in April 2018.
Our post-project commercialisation strategy is based on a market assessment performed during the project. The pilot plant, which will be enhanced to a full industrial recycling plant, will be the basis for our activities in Germany, which is the first European country with significant amounts of PV module waste and therefore our first market. Medium-term focus will be to provide recycling services for PV modules throughout Europe.
