en.Wedoany.com Reported - Reciclaje Solar, a company specializing in photovoltaic panel recycling (part of the Gestaner Group), is building a solar module recycling plant in the Parque Industrial de Alhama de Murcia, Murcia, Spain, with an estimated investment of approximately €5 million.

The complex covers an area of over 14,600 square meters, including an expandable 4,000-square-meter industrial building and a storage area with a capacity of 300 tons. According to the company's projections, the facility can process up to 420,000 photovoltaic panels annually.

The recycling process begins when photovoltaic panels arrive at the plant, where the technical team weighs them, inspects their condition, and analyzes their composition. Based on the assessment, technicians determine the most suitable processing route according to the module technology type (crystalline silicon or thin film), after which the panels enter temporary storage. During the dismantling phase, the team separates main components such as aluminum frames, cables, and junction boxes, either manually or automatically. Once the external components are removed, the panels undergo a mechanical recycling process, where materials such as glass, copper, silver, silicon, and plastics are separated and recovered.

Reciclaje Solar states that the plant will adjust its processing methods based on the technology of each photovoltaic panel to maximize recovery rates, with a processing capacity of 120 panels per hour (2m x 1m modules), equivalent to 9,150 tons per year.

The recovered materials are stored in separate areas until they are shipped to the second-hand materials market or recycling facilities. The company notes that final waste will be treated in accordance with current regulations to ensure proper disposal. This subsidiary of Gestaner plans to start plant operations by the end of the year and expects approximately 8 million tons of photovoltaic waste to be generated by 2030.