Poor recycling economics and high transportation costs are the main bottleneck

Zili Zhang, a member of the Ningxia Regional Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic League, the Agriculture and Rural Committee of the Autonomous Region CPPCC, and the CPPCC, said that the growth rate of Ningxia's photovoltaic installed capacity has increased year by year, but the recycling of retired PV modules still faces many challenges:

High recycling costs : The market size of retired PV modules is large. The current economic efficiency of recycling is not ideal, the purity of recycled materials is not high, and scale has not yet been formed. In the absence of subsidies, the cost remains high.

Transportation cost constraints : Especially for distributed photovoltaic power stations that are small and scattered , the average transportation cost of 0.66 yuan per ton per kilometer seriously restricts the recycling and reuse of retired photovoltaic modules.

It is recommended to improve recycling technology standards and support policies

Strengthen supervision of the recycling industry , strictly prohibit direct incineration or landfill of discarded photovoltaic modules, and resolutely ban companies that pollute the environment.

Establish mandatory recycling standards , and accelerate the improvement of management methods such as recycling enterprise qualification certification , technical specifications, recycling and processing procedures, and green evaluation to form a professional recycling management system.

Carry out policy research as soon as possible, clarify the responsible parties for recycling , study and introduce beneficial policies, and increase the enthusiasm of enterprises to participate in recycling through policy support such as financial subsidies and tax exemptions .

Explore new development models for photovoltaic recycling

Drawing on the model of the waste electrical and electronic products processing fund , producers and users of new energy industry-related enterprises can pay part of their profits to establish a new energy processing fund , which will be used specifically for the recycling and processing of new energy products.

Through models such as independent recycling by manufacturers, joint recycling or entrusted recycling, partial subsidies can be provided to professional recycling companies to help companies explore high-value recycling methods for retired photovoltaic modules.

Promote the construction of photovoltaic recycling engineering demonstration projects

Accelerate the industrialization process of photovoltaic module recycling, build photovoltaic module recycling demonstration projects in areas where conditions are ripe , guide the concentrated development of renewable resource processing and utilization projects, and accelerate the development and industrialization of photovoltaic module recycling technology . Revise the outline of resource comprehensive utilization technology policy in a timely manner, and strengthen the promotion, application and integrated demonstration of advanced and applicable technologies.

Establish an information service platform for photovoltaic module recycling

Relying on big data, cloud computing and other technical means, we can establish an information-based public service platform to improve the intelligent identification, positioning, tracking, monitoring and management capabilities of waste component recycling , carry out information collection, data analysis, trend monitoring and other information traceability, connect the upstream and downstream information breakpoints of the industrial chain, and form a more efficient and complete recycling network system.

In combination with Ningxia's dual positioning as a "national new energy comprehensive demonstration zone" and a "national hub node of the national integrated computing network", we support the national promotion of public service platforms such as the dynamic database for the recycling of wind power and photovoltaic equipment and carbon footprint verification to settle in Ningxia.

View the original government report:

http://www.nxzx.gov.cn/zxgz/sqmy/sqmysejwyh/202506/t20250625_1013744.html

(Source: Research Office 1 of the General Office of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region CPPCC)