FCC ámbito presents the PV4INKS project for the recycling of photovoltaic panels at the GENERA fair in Madrid

FCC Ámbito, a subsidiary of FCC Medio Ambiente specializing in the recovery and recycling of industrial waste, launches the PV4INKS R+D+i project for the development of recovery technologies for the silver contained in photovoltaic panels, as well as its conversion to nanoparticles that They can be used directly in the industry of conductive inks for electronic applications. The project, which will last three years and in which the company TECNAN and the technology centers LEITAT and LUREDERRA are also participating, has received funding from the State Research Agency, under the Ministry of Science and Innovation, within the framework of the call for Public-Private Collaboration Projects, co-financed by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the Government of Spain.

All the information about the project is presented at the GENERA fair in Madrid, which takes place from February 21 to 23.

FCC Ámbito’s participation responds to its objective of developing treatment and recycling solutions for the different materials included in waste, and is part of its strategic axis of innovation and development of technologies for the treatment of emerging waste linked to the energy transition .

It is estimated that 20% of the silver extracted worldwide is currently found in installed photovoltaic panels and, although by weight it is a minority component in the composition of the panel, it represents almost half the cost of the materials used in its manufacture. Therefore, developing technologies for its recovery will have a positive impact on the energy transition as a whole.

PV4INKS will be developed jointly between the Technical Department and the Glass Recycling area of ​​FCC Ámbito. In one of its plants in Zaragoza, the company is installing a specific line for the treatment of photovoltaic panels at the end of their useful life and its commissioning is expected for this year 2023. In addition, within the project, alternatives to the recovery of the glass, the most abundant material in photovoltaic panels, for high-value applications.

This project is part of FCC Medio Ambiente’s 2050 Sustainability Strategy, a 30-year business development roadmap that is specified in four lines of action: environmental, social, excellence and good governance. With the management of the increasingly abundant WEEE waste, FCC Ámbito seeks to reinforce the environmental axis by promoting the circular economy, as shown by its recent acquisition of the company InduRaees, in order to achieve waste recovery objectives of the European Union by 2035.

FCC Ámbito is the subsidiary of FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente specializing in the comprehensive management of industrial and commercial waste, recovery of by-products and soil decontamination. Altogether, it has a total of 39 treatment centers, distributed in Spain and Portugal, which represent more than 67 process lines that guarantee the functionality of the facilities.