Veolia inks deal to recycle photovoltaic panels in France

PV Cycle France, an organization charged with collecting and treating photovoltaic panels, has signed a four-year contract with Triade Electronique to process and recycle used photovoltaic equipment in France. Photovoltaic panels are more commonly known as solar panels.

Triade Electronique is a subsidiary of the Paris-based environmental services firm Veolia. The company will conduct the processing at its location in Rousset in the Bouches-du-Rhône region of France.

Using technology unique in the country, Triade will recover around 1,400 tonnes of photovoltaic material per year from 2017 and up to 4,000 tonnes by 2021. The secondary raw materials will be re-injected into various sectors, including aluminum, glass and copper, which is in line with Veolia’s sustainability principles.

Through these efforts, Veolia and PV CYCLE France says they are following the European WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive, which requires solar panel importers and manufacturers to collect and recycle end-of-life equipment.

"This first unit dedicated to recycling used photovoltaic panels is part of the high value-added strategy in our sector, recovering nearly 96% of materials while reducing the environmental impact of the collection process,” says Nicolas Defrenne, CEO of PV CYCLE France.

"This contract, new in France, illustrates Veolia's ability to convince key recycling players by providing innovative solutions. It marks the beginning of a long collaboration with PV CYCLE, the only eco-organism in this sector," says Bernard Harambillet, CEO Waste Solutions for Veolia in France.