November 3, Genoa - International workshop Where are WEEE going? Prepared by Ludovica Baldassari.

Transcription

1 November 3, Genoa - International workshop Where are WEEE going? Prepared by Ludovica Baldassari

2 Photolife Project "Process and automated pilot plant for simultaneous and integral recycling of different kinds of photovoltaic panels" Contents 1) presentation Aim and Actions Project Partnership 2) Overview of PV panels Structure and composition EU legislation Future projections 3) Treatment Process Block Flow diagram Lab tests results (characterization) 4) Pilot Plant Process scheme and plant capacity Main equipment Ongoing activities

3 1) Photolife Project Presentation The Photolife Project "Process and automated pilot plant for simultaneous and integral recycling of different kinds of photovoltaic panels" (June August 2017) is a project co-funded by the European Community, with the LIFE+ call for the demonstration of the technical and economic feasibility and environmental benefits of recycling glass and metals by treating different types of photovoltaic panels. The process has been patented under the European Patent. Project AIM: recovery of glass and main values from end of life Photovoltaic panels. Project SCOPE: construction of a mobile unit (200 ton/y) for chemical treatment of EOL PV panels experimentation of the innovative process for the full recovery of different kind of PVP

4 The project activities are as follows: 1) Processing of existing data (analysis of laboratory results; estimated market trend) 1) Photolife Project Presentation: ACTIONS 2) Preliminary economic feasibility analysis 3) Recovery of photovoltaic panels and their characterization (retrieval and classification of PVP, characterization of the recovered panel) 4) Design and implementation of the process and pilot plant 5) Pilot plant experiments 6) Economic analysis 7) Tests on a laboratory scale with innovative photovoltaic panels CIS and CIGS 8) Monitoring phase (environmental impact assessment of the project; LCA) Lab test Demonstration Plant Design Plant construction

5 1) Photolife Project Presentation: PARTNESHIP Eco Recycling srl: spin off of the University Sapienza of Rome, which operates mainly in the field of environmentally sustainable processes. The spin off activities mainly concern: development of innovative processes for the recovery of metals from primary and secondary raw materials; process and plant engineering; support for start-up, management and training of personnel; chemical analyzes for environmental monitoring and process optimization. HTR research center: founded in 2007, it puts together some Italian universities and research centers (such as the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geo-Engineering, Rome) involved in developing innovative technologies for the treatment of secondary raw materials and energy recovery. Eco Power srl: founded in 2007 and is currently part of a group operating in the field of renewable energy boasting an experience of about 10 MW of photovoltaic installations, consultancy and equipment supplier specifications. Green Engineering srl: engineering company founded in 2006 with the aim of providing sustainable solutions from an environmental point of view to energy problems. The company's core business is the design and industrial development aimed at energy saving.

6 2) Overview of PVP: STRUCTURE Typical multi-layer structure Specific components of the panels Crystalline Si CdTe CIGS GLASS EVA TiO2 CELL EVA TEDLAR GLASS SnO2 CdS CdTe Al ZnO CdS CIGS Mo GLASS

7 Si-crystalline Si-amorphous CdTe CIS-CIGS Panel Weight (Kg) Others components (including rare metals) Other key components (>1% of the composition) Glass 74% 86% 95% 84% Aluminium 10% <1% <1% 12% 16% 14% 4% 4% EVA, tedlar, silicon, adhesive Polyol, MDI EVA EVA Precious and rare metals Ag In, Ge - In, Ga, Se REF: bio Intelligence Service A Project under the framework contract ENG.G.4./FRA/ STUDY ON PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS SUPPLEMENTING THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR A RECAST OF THE WEEE DIRECTIVE Final report 14 Aprile ) Overview of PVP: COMPOSITION Toxic metals Pb - Cd Cd

8 2) Overview of PVP: EU LEGISLATION PV panel waste classification follows the basic principles of waste classification: from a regulatory point of view, PV panel waste still largely falls under the general waste classification. EUROPE: PV panels are defined as e-waste in the WEEE Directive in addition to other related waste legislation (e.g. Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC) REF: End of Life Management - Solar Photovoltaic Panel IRENA, IEA-PVPS, 2016 The original WEEE Directive (Directive 2002/96/ EC) was revised (2012/19/ EU): for the first time it included specifics on end-of life management of PV panels. Annual collection and recovery targets (mass %) under the WEEE Directive

9 2) Overview of PVP: FUTURE PROJECTION Ref: End of life management: photovoltaic panels IRENA and IEA-PVPS (2016)

10 2) Overview of PVP: FUTURE PROJECTION Amount of waste fractions (tons) Glass Al Rare metals from waste (tons) Ag In Ga Ge Year Year

11 3) Treatment process: BFD PVP Si-monoc Si-polyc Si-amorphous CdTe Glass Al frame Mechanical treatment section Fine fraction HYDROWEEE chemical treatment Glass Wastewater 1 Coarse fraction Glass PHOTOLIFE chemical treatment Residue Wastewater 2

12 3) Treatment process: COMPOSITION CHARACTERIZATION Sampling Crushing Lab tests Separation

13 3) Treatment process: LAB RESULTS 71% 84% 47% [Kg] Mono Si Poly Si Amo Si CdTe EOL PVP Al Frame Glass Losses Fine Fraction Others (Tedlar + EVA)

14 3) Treatment process: CHEMICAL CHRACTERIZATION Sampling Crushing Digestion Analiysis

15 35 30 Fe Zn Al Si/10 3) Treatment process: LAB RESULTS 0.7 Cu Ti Ag Cd Te 0.6 Metal content (mg/g) Metal content (mg/g) Fine Fraction (0,08-0,4 mm) Poly Si Mono Si Amo Si CdTe Fe Zn Al Si/ Poly Si Mono Si Amo Si CdTe Cu Ti Ag Cd Te Metal content (mg/g) Metal content (mg/g) Finest Fraction (<0,08 mm) 0 Poly Si Mono Si Amo Si CdTe 0.0 Poly Si Mono Si Amo Si CdTe REF: F. Pagnanelli, E. Moscardini, G. Granata, T. Abo Atia, T. Havlik, L. Toro, 2017 (online 2016) Physical and chemical treatment of end of life panels: an integrated automatic approach viable for different photovoltaic technologies, Waste Management, 59,

16 4) Pilot Plant: P&ID Crushed PVP charge PLANT CAPACITY: 200 ton/y Storage tanks Reactor SEPARATION STEP EVA, Tedlar, metallic fraction glass

17 4) Pilot Plant: Installation Site Civita castellana (VT)

18 4) Pilot Plant Main Equipment: CONTAINER 1 Section 2 Section

19 4) Pilot Plant 1 SECTION: Control Room Control panel Electric Pump Indoor view Boiler Datalogger

20 4) Pilot Plant 2 SECTION: PVP Treatment Condenser Porthole Hopper Reactor Load cells

21 4) Pilot Plant 2 SECTION: PVP Treatment Air pump Filter Carbon Adsorption Storage tanks

22 4) Pilot Plant: Conclusion and Ongoing activities CONCLUSION The project objectives have been set according to the European directives for achieve a specific target of PVP recovery The experimental tests on a lab scale allowed the characterization of the panels and the defining of a process for their recovery The Photolife pilot plant was designed to meet three principles: Versatility, Innovation and Mobility ONGOING ACTIVITIES: The demonstrative phase is currently underway: so far, the first tests with 3 types of PVP were positive, validating laboratory results New tests are planned to treat other PVP technologies in the pilot plant and to confirm the expected results Processing data from the pilot plant to validate the technical and economic feasibility The panels s treatment on pilot plant will confirm the results obtained during the research step

23 Thank you! Ing. Ludovica M. Baldassari HTR Referent: Prof.ssa Francesca Pagnanelli Eco Recycling S.r.l. Sapienza Università di Roma P.le Aldo Moro, Rome, Italy Dipartimento di Chimica, Università Sapienza Sapienza Università di Roma P.le Aldo Moro, Rome, Italy