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RESOLAR's '6N-grade recycled silicon' and 'world's first fully recycled solar module' were selected in international authoritative papers
2026-03-23

Recently, a review article titled Recycling of crystalline-silicon photovoltaic modules in China: Policies, technologies and prospects was officially published in the international journal Sustainable Production and Consumption.


This article comprehensively evaluates the entire industrial chain of crystalline silicon photovoltaic module recycling in China, citing RESOLAR's industrial achievements of "producing 6N-grade recycled silicon" and "the world's first fully recycled solar module" as key examples of high-value development in the industry.


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This paper was jointly completed by scholars from the Guangzhou Institute of Energy Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, as well as the University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales in Australia. The Guangdong Key Laboratory for High-Quality Recycling and Utilization of Retired New Energy Components conducted a systematic study on China's domestic industrial ecosystem.

The paper constructs a "policy-technology-industry" trinity analytical framework, with clear core conclusions:

  1. Massive waste surge: China is expected to face its first peak of photovoltaic module waste by 2030 (approximately 1.5 million tons), with waste volume reaching 19.9 million tons by 2050 and cumulative waste between 50-60 million tons by 2045.

  2. Clear technological bottlenecks: In the recycling process, the "delamination" step is the biggest bottleneck—mechanical methods have low purity, thermal methods cause significant damage, and chemical methods pose environmental risks. Overcoming this bottleneck is key to achieving high recycling rates.

  3. Industry in transition: China has established multiple demonstration lines, but technological maturity varies significantly. Mechanical recycling is nearing commercialization, while chemical/hybrid recycling technologies representing high-value directions mostly remain at laboratory to pilot stages. Leading companies have achieved over 99% purity in recycling aluminum frames and glass components. RESOLAR can produce 6N-grade recycled silicon .

  4. Core industry challenges and opportunities: Currently facing five major challenges—insufficient transparency in recycling chain governance, high logistics costs (25-30% for dismantling and transportation), low material separation efficiency, inadequate high-value utilization, and low industry scale—while also benefiting from "dual carbon" policy support, massive waste resource market demand, and digital technology integration, presenting opportunities for scaled and high-value development.

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Simultaneously, the process diagrams in the article showcase RESOLAR's established complete recycling chain from retired modules to regenerated raw materials. Its technology not only efficiently recycles aluminum frames, photovoltaic glass, and copper ribbons but also achieves stable production of 6N-grade (99.9999% purity) recycled silicon through core green hydrometallurgy and purification processes.

More significantly, as a key project in the photovoltaic recycling industry development collaboration, Trina Solar and RESOLAR jointly manufactured the world's first fully recycled and regenerated photovoltaic module.


Report link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2026.01.017


About RESOLAR

Shanghai RESOLAR Energy Technology Co., Ltd. is committed to becoming a recycled material photovoltaic group with deep decarbonization. RESOLAR focuses on technological innovation and builds a world-leading solution for component recycling, impurity removal of damaged cells, recycled silicon materials and cells, and cascaded utilization of components. With professional technology and services, we help customers realize the recycling and reuse of waste photovoltaic resources, and make positive contributions to the development of environmental protection and new energy industries. For more detailed information, you can browse the official website: www.resolartech.com .

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