CCTV News (Focus Interview): Against the backdrop of the national implementation of the "dual carbon" strategy, China's photovoltaic industry has continued to develop rapidly in recent years, and China has become the world's largest producer of photovoltaic modules and application country for photovoltaic power generation. Photovoltaic modules, also known as solar panels, have a lifespan. In the coming years, a large number of photovoltaic modules will be retired and abandoned in China. These discarded photovoltaic modules can be properly treated and recycled, but if not handled properly, they can have serious negative impacts on the environment. During the investigation, the reporter found that the recycling market for discarded photovoltaic modules is very hot now. So how are these recycled photovoltaic modules handled?

　　On the internet, reporters have discovered a large amount of information about purchasing discarded photovoltaic modules. Through price consultation, reporters have found that discarded photovoltaic modules are quite popular.

　　Why is the recycling business of discarded photovoltaic modules so hot? Where did the large amount of discarded photovoltaic modules purchased by recyclers flow to?

　　According to the clues, the reporter arrived at a village in the suburbs of Huixian County, Xinxiang City, Henan Province.

　　In the courtyard of Tianyu Paper Products Factory in Huixian City, there are two or three piles of photovoltaic panels with removed frames stacked on the wall.

　　At this entrance is a pile of decomposed photovoltaic panels, and the workshop is filled with choking black powder.

　　Abandoned photovoltaic modules are purchased and sold from recyclers before entering the disposal process. The physical disassembly mentioned by the workers is the first step in this process: removing the aluminum alloy frame and junction box.

　　In this factory building, piles of disassembled photovoltaic panels are placed on the ground. Two workers are rolling the boards into rolls and stacking them next to them, with two large incinerators at the bottom.

　　According to the workers, these two incinerators have just stopped due to malfunctions and are ready for maintenance. Burning photovoltaic panels is the second step for these small factories to dispose of discarded photovoltaic modules: extracting silicon materials and raw materials containing metals such as silver from the disassembled parts.

　　At the exit of this simple conveyor belt are black powder and particles, which are the ground silicon powder.

　　Cheng Gangqi, Director of the Wind and Solar Equipment Recycling Professional Committee of the China Material Recycling Association, said, "The small factory has a rough processing method and a relatively simple process. Many of these raw materials are discarded in the entire production process, mainly the EVA film and backboard, which will also be a good recycled plastic after extraction and processing, which is also a waste of resources."

　　During the investigation, the reporter found that in addition to low recycling rates and resource waste, such small factories and workshops also face environmental pollution problems during production.

　　A person from out of town has a factory in the village that deals with discarded photovoltaic modules. He said that burning and treating photovoltaic modules can cause pollution, which cannot be done in other places. He and several fellow villagers came to this village in Henan to invest in building a factory.

　　The car drove to the other end of the village, which was a courtyard with an iron gate closed.

　　There are also piles of dismantled photovoltaic panels piled up in the yard. In the makeshift shed made of iron sheet, a large incinerator is burning and emitting smoke. Flames can be seen from the two feeding ports, and the stove has been smoked black. There are rolled photovoltaic panels piled up next to the stove.

　　Cheng Gangqi said, "If we look at this simple incineration process, its dust control or environmental management is definitely not up to standard. One is that the waste gas generated by this combustion does not have relevant collection and disposal devices; and the other is that the dust does not have corresponding devices to manage it. If the dust is not well controlled, it will suspend into particles in the air. Like this polymer plastic product, once burned, it is easy to produce harmful substances such as acid rain."

　　In addition to the pungent black smoke generated by burning, the reporter smelled an unpleasant odor in the yard. Inside the iron sheet walls, several pools on the ground were emitting white smoke, and the ground was covered in sewage.

　　The investigation by reporters found that there are many small factories and workshops like this, and they also exist in other places. Environmental pollution and low recycling rates are common problems in these small factories and workshops. However, despite the simple equipment, the daily processing capacity of these small factories hidden in the village is not small.

　　According to the boss, the products produced after incineration and treatment of photovoltaic modules are very popular.

　　Originally, dismantling and incineration only produced raw materials that had undergone rough processing, and these materials would also be sold to some downstream manufacturers for further purification through chemical methods, extracting silver and higher purity silicon. Taking silver as an example, according to experts, most downstream manufacturers use wet metallurgy to extract it. This requires higher process requirements and stricter management. Once mishandled, it can cause serious pollution to soil and groundwater, with greater harm.

　　At present, China has become the world's largest producer of photovoltaic modules and application country for photovoltaic power generation. Due to the design service life of photovoltaic modules, a large number of photovoltaic modules will be retired or discarded in China in the coming years, and the number will also increase.

　　At present, some legitimate recycling companies have started the recycling of discarded photovoltaic modules.

　　In the production workshop of an abandoned photovoltaic module recycling and processing enterprise in Xining, a discarded photovoltaic panel has entered the pilot line for the recycling of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules.

　　Zheng Lu, Director of the Component Recycling Pilot Line at the Photovoltaic Energy Storage Industry Innovation Center of State Power Investment Corporation, said, "Our goal in the recycling line is to effectively recycle all high-value materials for photovoltaic modules, just like the junction box in my hand, as well as the glass, aluminum frame, cable, silver copper back plate, etc. on site. The recycling rate of aluminum frame, junction box, cable and other materials can reach 100%, and the recycling rate of silver, glass, solder tape and other materials can also reach over 90%. After cleaning and purifying the silicon battery, the silicon purity can reach 99.93%."

　　It is reported that recycling and treatment production lines like this not only have high recovery rates, but also meet high environmental standards. Through new technological means, toxic and harmful gas emissions are avoided in various links, as well as heavy metal pollution to the environment during the treatment process.

　　However, the investigation by reporters revealed that such an efficient and environmentally friendly production line is currently unable to fully utilize its production capacity.

　　During the visit, the reporter found that, like the situation of this company, many legitimate photovoltaic recycling companies are currently facing the embarrassing situation of having no rice to cook.

　　On the one hand, irregular small factories produce day and night without distinction; On the other hand, large enterprises with advanced equipment and technology are often idle due to insufficient recycled raw materials and insufficient production lines.

　　Zhu Jie, General Manager of a certain Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. in Nantong, Jiangsu, said, "Because there aren't so many goods, they have basically been taken away by small workshops or some hoarders at relatively high prices. It's difficult for us to compete with them in terms of price now."

　　Why can simple workshops and factories offer higher acquisition prices, occupy more recycling channels and sources of goods compared to those professional large enterprises?

　　Zhu Jie: "Our environmental protection costs are much higher than those of small workshops, because we need to de crosslink EVA battery cells step by step, and then take out the EVA and backplane for environmental treatment. Then it burns down on the other side, and our environmental protection costs are relatively high."

　　Cheng Gangqi said, "Irregular factories are profit oriented. They only care about whether I can produce more valuable things. If I throw the rest into nature, I won't be able to dispose of it at the designated points. If I can avoid supervision, I will save these processes for the whole province."

　　The market prospects for the recycling and reuse of photovoltaic modules are enormous, but in order to truly form a green closed-loop of the photovoltaic industry chain, it is necessary to continue to improve relevant policies and standards, and guide and regulate the recycling and processing industry.

　　In July 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments jointly issued the Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Recycling of Retired Wind and Photovoltaic Equipment, requiring the acceleration of the construction of a waste recycling system and the promotion of the recycling of retired wind and photovoltaic equipment. However, there is currently no specific management policy for the recycling and treatment of discarded photovoltaic modules.

　　Jiang Hua, Deputy Secretary General of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, said, "After the top-level design documents are released, corresponding supporting rules and policy documents also need to be pre researched, researched, and introduced. On the one hand, policy measures can be adopted to regulate; on the other hand, mandatory national standards, including environmental protection standards, energy-saving standards, etc., can be introduced to enter this industry and achieve closed-loop green development of the industry."

　　Photovoltaics are green energy, and the photovoltaic industry is also a green industry. However, in order to form a green closed loop in this industry chain, it is necessary to carry out environmental protection and recycling after the retirement of photovoltaic modules. At present, China's photovoltaic module recycling industry is still in its early stages, with the problem of small workshops thriving while legitimate large enterprises are unable to eat enough. On the one hand, it pollutes the environment, and on the other hand, it wastes resources. It is urgent to improve relevant policies and standards, guide and regulate the recycling and utilization of photovoltaic modules, and establish a sound responsibility mechanism to strengthen environmental supervision of the entire recycling and disposal process. While producing green energy, more attention should be paid to environmental protection throughout the entire chain, reducing its impact on the environment, in order for the photovoltaic industry to achieve green, low-carbon, and sustainable development.