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Energy decarbonisation in the European Union: Assessment of photovoltaic waste recycling potential

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  • Kastanaki, Eleni
  • Giannis, Apostolos

Abstract

The Renewable Energy Directive delineates policies for energy production from renewable sources by at least 32% in European Union (EU) by 2030. All member states have established National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) for 2021–2030 to decipher how they will cover their energy needs from renewable sources. This work considers the targets set by each of the EU-27 countries to implement, in particular, solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to cover their energy needs. Then, the future PV waste amounts are assessed considering the widely used Early Loss and Regular Loss scenarios, as well as the noteworthy scenario proposed by the EU WEEE Directive. The study addresses the questions “when will large amounts of panel waste be generated in the EU countries and what will their composition be?” Also, a timescale for starting an economically viable recycling industry for PV panel waste in the EU is estimated based on the annual PV waste generated in each country. By 2050, 14.3–18.5 Mt PV waste will be generated in EU-27 while the profit of PV recovered materials will be 21.98–27.36 billion USD. The findings contribute to the efficient management of the forthcoming e-waste category, according to circular economy principles, ensuring the pathway to sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Kastanaki, Eleni & Giannis, Apostolos, 2022. "Energy decarbonisation in the European Union: Assessment of photovoltaic waste recycling potential," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 1-13.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:192:y:2022:i:c:p:1-13
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.04.098
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Domínguez, Adriana & Geyer, Roland, 2019. "Photovoltaic waste assessment of major photovoltaic installations in the United States of America," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 1188-1200.
    2. Peeters, Jef R. & Altamirano, Diego & Dewulf, Wim & Duflou, Joost R., 2017. "Forecasting the composition of emerging waste streams with sensitivity analysis: A case study for photovoltaic (PV) panels in Flanders," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 14-26.
    3. Domínguez, Adriana & Geyer, Roland, 2017. "Photovoltaic waste assessment in Mexico," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 29-41.
    4. Klugmann-Radziemska, Ewa & Ostrowski, Piotr, 2010. "Chemical treatment of crystalline silicon solar cells as a method of recovering pure silicon from photovoltaic modules," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1751-1759.
    5. Paiano, Annarita, 2015. "Photovoltaic waste assessment in Italy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 99-112.
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    2. Wang, Xintong & Xue, Jingguo & Hou, Xueliang, 2023. "Barriers analysis to Chinese waste photovoltaic module recycling under the background of "double carbon"," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C), pages 39-54.
    3. Aşkın, Asmin & Kılkış, Şiir & Akınoğlu, Bülent Gültekin, 2023. "Recycling photovoltaic modules within a circular economy approach and a snapshot for Türkiye," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 583-596.
    4. Anna Marciniuk-Kluska & Mariusz Kluska, 2023. "Forecasting Energy Recovery from Municipal Waste in a Closed-Loop Economy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-15, March.
    5. Chen, Zhiyuan & Wang, Feng & Wang, Tieli & He, Rulin & Hu, Jieli & Li, Li & Luo, Ying & Qin, Yingling & Wang, Dingliang, 2024. "A real options approach to renewable energy module end-of-life decisions under multiple uncertainties: Application to PV and wind in China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).

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