With significant ingot and wafer capacity expansions, notably underway in Asia, the demand for slurry recycling is working in tandem. With a claimed 40% market share, SiC Processing is raising €100 million via a bond issue to further expand operations in Asia and other regions.
Product Briefing Outline: Umicore Precious Metals Refining has introduced a CIGS production scrap recycling service with an initial capacity of 50Mt per annum. This new service allows the recycling of production waste (e.g. chamber residues) generated by CIGS solar cell producers, and valorizes copper, indium, gallium and selenium.
Tempe, AZ-based pv recycling and Encros have signed an MOU to develop collection and recycling systems in North America and Europe. Under the terms of the agreement, Encros will develop, test, and operate recycling technologies, while pv recycling will implement and manage areas related to administration, logistics, and regulatory compliance.
CNPV Solar Power has become the latest solar photovoltaic manufacturer to become a member of PV Cycle. The company joins the environmental recycling program on its mission to introduce the take back and recycling of end-of-life PV modules.
Climate Change Capital Private Equity, the €200 million fund dedicated to investments in clean technology companies, has led a convertible bond issue in Metallkraft, the Norwegian company that developed a patented process to recycle spent slurry used in cutting solar silicon wafers.
Speciality metals refiner 5N Plus has signed an MOU supply agreement with Abound Solar to supply high-purity cadmium telluride and cadmium sulphide materials for the CdTe thin film start-up’s module manufacturing operations. First Solar, the leading thin film producer, is 5N Plus’ largest customer. Abound Solar has also signed a long-term module recycling contract with 5N Plus that includes manufacturing scrap that will also be fully recycled.
The cadmium telluride refiner and major supplier to First Solar, 5N Plus is diversifying into solar module recycling, according to a Wall Street Journal article. The company is setting up in a rented facility the system required initially to handle coated soda-lime glass and later the ability to recycle fully laminated modules. The new business is not connected to First Solar’s CdTe modules, according to the story, which quoted a First Solar spokesperson.
Domestically produced solar glass is a key gap in the US PV manufacturing ecosystem. Tom Kenning reports on efforts to kick-start local production of this vital material
