Where does the ＂retirement tide＂ come from？
The development of photovoltaic industry in China has a history of more than 10 years. In recent years, with the upgrading of photovoltaic module products and the gradual expiration of the life of some modules, the "retirement tide" of photovoltaic modules is accelerating. How to deal with the massive waste photovoltaic modules? Where did they flow? Has the "last mile" of photovoltaic module recycling and recycling industry chain been opened?
Wide market development space
"Last year, only 1,000 tons of waste photovoltaic modules were recycled, and at most 5,000 tons were recycled this year. However, compared with the processing capacity of 20,000 tons at full load, raw material recycling has been in short supply." When interviewed by some waste photovoltaic module recycling enterprises in Jiangsu, the reporter heard the most that the supply of goods was not easy to find and the enterprises were "not enough to eat".
Jiangsu Changzhou Ruisai Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. is the first private scientific and technological enterprise specializing in the dismantling technology of scrapped photovoltaic modules in China. The enterprise has participated in the formulation of almost all standards of photovoltaic recycling industry, but the recycling business of the company’s scrapped photovoltaic modules has not been large. During this time, Zhuang Huliang, the company’s deputy general manager, has been calling for establishing and improving the entry threshold and industry norms for photovoltaic module recycling and reuse.
"The main components of photovoltaic modules, such as glass, aluminum frame, welding tape and battery chips, are all recyclable resources. Waste photovoltaic modules can be dismantled by physical methods, chemical methods, pyrolysis methods and other technical paths, but at the same time each method will have different ‘ Three wastes ’ Produce. If the used photovoltaic modules do not flow to the formal disposal and utilization units, it will not only be detrimental to the recycling of resources, but also cause greater environmental pollution hazards. " Zhuang Huliang said that in the early stage of its development, the emerging solid waste recycling industry will have a period of disorderly competition, and the photovoltaic recycling industry is no exception. But obviously, the shorter the disorderly competition period, the more favorable it is for the high-quality development of the photovoltaic recycling industry, and the smaller the negative impact on the ecological environment. Only by recycling waste photovoltaic modules and utilizing this "last mile" mark of photovoltaic industry chain can we truly realize the green closed-loop and high-quality recycling of photovoltaic industry.
The service life of solar photovoltaic modules can generally reach more than 25 years. At present, photovoltaic technology is developing rapidly, and many owners of photovoltaic power generation projects are considering replacing photovoltaic modules with higher conversion efficiency in advance (the power generation of products with the same area in 2023 is about twice that of products in 2008).
In the field of photovoltaic module recycling, Jiangsu is very representative. Fan Guoyuan, secretary-general of Jiangsu Photovoltaic Industry Association, said that the world’s photovoltaics look at China and China’s photovoltaics look at Jiangsu. China is one of the countries that developed the photovoltaic industry earlier in the world. As early as 2009, Jiangsu introduced the photovoltaic power generation support policy and started the construction of photovoltaic power plants. At present, the total installed capacity is close to 30GW, ranking first in the country. With the passage of the service life of photovoltaic panels and the iterative upgrading of new products, Jiangsu will usher in the "iterative tide" of photovoltaic panels around 2025 and the "retirement tide" after 2030.
"At present, the volume of waste photovoltaic modules on the market is gradually increasing, and the recycling of photovoltaic modules will become the next blue ocean in the field of new energy. However, the photovoltaic module recycling track has not released much market dividend, because a considerable number of waste photovoltaic modules have not entered the compliance enterprises for recycling, decomposition and reuse." Fan Guoyuan said that there are three conventional disposal methods for waste photovoltaic modules: one is to use them after degradation or repair; Second, the valuable part is extracted by disassembly, and the rest is discarded, but it will have adverse effects on the environment; Third, entrust a professional component recycling enterprise with professional environmental protection qualification to extract aluminum, silver, silicon and glass by scientific and technological means for recycling. Among them, the use of scientific and technological means is the most green and low-carbon scientific method for recycling waste photovoltaic modules.
The recovery treatment pressure is high.
"We found that waste photovoltaic modules mainly flow to small workshops such as small and micro enterprises and self-employed. They disassemble and sell valuable parts such as aluminum alloys, and the rest are disposed of by stacking, landfill or incineration, with little environmental cost." Zhangxin, R&D director of Yicheng Xinneng (Suzhou) Technology Co., Ltd., which specializes in developing complete solutions for recycling used photovoltaic modules, found that many small workshops are very attractive in the recycling price of used photovoltaic modules because there is no environmental protection treatment.
Zhangxin calculated an account for the reporter, because silver can be extracted from waste photovoltaic modules, the recycling price of a piece of waste photovoltaic modules with aluminum alloy frame has surpassed that of 55 yuan, and the recycling cost will rise to more than 80 yuan, and the recycling price of a ton of waste photovoltaic modules with frames has soared to 3,000 yuan, far exceeding the affordability of enterprises. "The extensive refining method of small workshops does not consider environmental protection costs at all, so there is still room for profit. In contrast, if regular enterprises recycle at this price, they will lose 100%." Zhangxin said.
"Photovoltaic module waste contains valuable resources such as silicon, silver and copper, as well as harmful substances such as lead, antimony, cadmium and fluorine. Extensive incineration and stacking will not only reuse some valuable resources, but also have a harmful impact on the environment. " Fan Guoyuan said that the extensive recycling model not only caused serious pollution to the environment, but also caused bad money to drive out good money. The reason for this situation is that the definition of the nature of waste photovoltaic modules is not clear. During the recycling process from scrapping to dismantling, decomposition and reuse, there are many gaps in technology, standards and management policies, and there is a lack of restrictions on policies and standards. At the same time, the business model of waste photovoltaic modules is not mature, which hinders the healthy development of photovoltaic industry.
According to the forecast of China Photovoltaic Industry Association, by 2025, the total number of retired photovoltaic modules in China will reach about 9GW, and the number of retired modules will exceed 2.7GW； in that year; From 2030, the amount of retired photovoltaic modules will increase rapidly, and the retired photovoltaic modules will reach 15GW in that year, and will reach the peak for the first time in 2034. A blue ocean market for recycling waste photovoltaic modules with a level of 100 billion yuan is accelerating.
Zhangqin, a professor at the School of Economics and Management of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics who has been engaged in research on the development of photovoltaic industry all the year round, said in an interview that most of the materials of used photovoltaic modules can be recycled, which is a huge emerging market, but the market is still in the primary development stage, and problems such as access threshold and imperfect industry norms need to be solved urgently.
The policy system needs to be improved
In January this year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other six departments issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of Energy Electronics Industry", further demanding that the traceability system of photovoltaic supply chain be accelerated, and emphasizing the promotion of R&D and industrial application of photovoltaic module recycling technology. The Case Interpretation of the Implementation Plan for Promoting the High-quality Development of New Energy in the New Era recently issued by the National Energy Administration also proposes to vigorously promote the development of retired wind turbines, photovoltaic module recycling technology and related industrial chains.
"At the policy level, more and more attention has been paid to the recycling of photovoltaic modules, and the pace of formulating special policies for the recycling of used photovoltaic modules is gradually accelerating. At present, the Jiangsu Photovoltaic Industry Association is entrusted by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology to carry out research projects on the recycling, utilization and countermeasures of solar photovoltaic modules, focusing on the recycling technology and policies of photovoltaic waste components, so as to protect the healthy development of the photovoltaic industry in Jiangsu. " Fan Guoyuan said.
Driven by the goal of "double carbon", green and low-carbon circular economy has become an important strategy for China’s economic and social development, and the recovery and treatment of waste photovoltaic modules is an important part of the development of circular economy in photovoltaic industry.
Zhuang Huliang said that after years of scientific research, development and innovation accumulation, the company has reserved a number of technologies, and participated in the formulation of the national standard "Physical Law on Recycling Methods of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules", the group standard "Guide to Scrapping of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules" and "Accounting for Carbon Emissions from Recycling and Utilization of Retired Photovoltaic Modules". I believe that with the unification of industry standards, enterprises will contribute more to the green closed-loop and high-quality recycling development of photovoltaic new energy industry.
"With the increasing volume of the photovoltaic module recycling market, photovoltaic recycling should be included in the overall planning of resource recycling and new energy industry development, and the system of photovoltaic module recycling standard system, responsible subject and production responsibility should be established and improved." Zhangqin suggested that at present, with the development of digital technology in full swing, photovoltaic module recycling should build a photovoltaic module recycling network platform through digital means, improve the traceability of photovoltaic module recycling, realize the whole process tracking from production to recycling, and use "internet plus" to help the healthy and orderly development of photovoltaic recycling industry. Promote the formation of a market order led by the government and the responsibility of enterprises, extend the social responsibility chain of photovoltaic enterprises, establish a subsidy mechanism for the development of photovoltaic module recycling industry, and improve the enthusiasm of enterprises to participate in photovoltaic module recycling.