The technologies that Stokkermill, a world-leading brand in the production of machines and equipment for materials recycling, will present at IFAT2024. Topics of great relevance and interest for the recycling industry.
As we know, recycling is a challenging world but, at the same time, an environment of opportunities. What seemed to be a problem without a solution is now being solved with the help of technique and technology. Stokkermill's recycling plants and machines for solar panels are capable of separating the components that make up the solar panel. This way, aluminum, silicon, glass, the EVA plastic fraction (ethylene vinyl acetate), and copper find reuse in the modern and efficient industrial chain of the circular economy. Stokkermill's photovoltaic panel recycling plants have capacities ranging from 500 to over 2000 kg/h. The operational lifespan of photovoltaic panels is estimated to be about 10 years from the installation date. After this period, the performance of the panels tends to decrease, necessitating replacement with more modern and efficient materials and technologies. By 2050, it is predicted that 78 million tons of first and second-generation photovoltaic panels will need to be disposed of and, preferably, recycled for the recovery of constituent materials. However, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), currently only about 10% of panels are recycled globally. In other words, as of today, there is still no efficient supply chain for the recycling of photovoltaic panels, and the gap will need to be filled quickly to allow for the proper recovery of strategic materials for a correct and sustainable development of the circular economy.
