CEA-Liten showcased its mechanical delamination technology for recycling end-of-life PV modules at Intersolar Europe 2026
The process begins with backsheet removal and recovers valuable materials while preserving glass for recycling
The technology is being scaled up through the European EVERPV project with industrial partner ENVIE
French research organization CEA-Liten showcased a technology for module recycling at Intersolar Europe 2026. Speaking to TaiyangNews, Lotfi Bounaas from CEA-Liten explained this recycling approach that helps recover valuable materials from end-of-life solar panels.
According to Bounaas, given current market conditions, about 80 million tons of solar panels will become waste by 2050, posing a challenge for end-of-life management in the global PV industry. CEA-Liten has been developing technologies for recycling end-of-life solar panels, as well as conducting research across the PV value chain.
Bounaas explained that the most common approach presently in mass production is shredding, where panels are broken down to fragments, and then the valuables are separated, while CEA-Liten has developed a different process that focuses on recovering materials more efficiently.
Instead of shredding the module, CEA-Liten uses mechanical delamination to gradually remove the module layers, starting with the backsheet. According to the institute, the process enables the recovery of polymer materials while separating fluorinated compounds. As the remaining layers are removed, it recovers powders containing high-value materials while leaving behind clean glass that can be reintroduced into the glass industry.
According to Bounaas, the process is designed to recover valuable materials including silver, glass, copper, and silicon, while the polymer materials can also be utilized. He noted that silver is particularly important because it is considered a critical raw material. Complementing the mechanical separation process, CEA has also developed additional recovery processes to further improve the extraction of these valuable materials.
Bounaas said the technology has been under development and is now being scaled up through the European EVERPV project. Working with industrial partners, including ENVIE, CEA-Liten has demonstrated the process at pilot scale and is preparing it for industrial deployment, he added. According to him, while the technology is not yet in mass production, it is expected to operate at industrial scale in the future, providing a differentiated approach to recycling end-of-life photovoltaic panels.
