Habeck visits SOLAR MATERIALS solar panel recycling plant in Magdeburg
Magdeburg. On Thursday, 11 July 2024, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection in Germany, Robert Habeck, visited SOLAR MATERIALS GmbH the technology leader in the recycling of solar modules in Magdeburg.
During his visit, Habeck emphasised the importance of recycling solar modules for the German economy and climate protection. Germany is at the forefront of the global solar boom. The world’s first market for the recycling of solar modules is therefore emerging here. By 2035, a quarter of a million tonnes of solar modules will be ready for recycling. The reason for the end of life is weather damage, production defects or age. SOLAR MATERIALS is already receiving recycling requests in the order of several hundred lorries.
The speed of authorisation procedures for the storage of solar modules was also discussed with Habeck. These take months, even though the authorities have no concerns and the storage areas are ready to go.
The EU POP Regulation, which requires declaration analyses for more than 130,000 module types, also jeopardises competitiveness in solar recycling. This is because some manufacturers no longer exist or customers do not have the data sheets.