J&T Kankyo starts full-scale operation of "recycling plant" for solar panels
Aluminum frame separator
(Source: JFE Engineering)
glass separator
(Source: JFE Engineering)
inside the factory
(Source: JFE Engineering)
Solar panel recycling plant
(Source: JFE Engineering)
J&T Kankyo (Yokohama City), a group company of JFE Engineering (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), has built a solar panel decomposition facility in Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture, and will begin full-scale operation from December. An opening ceremony was held on November 24.
The factory has an annual processing capacity of 1440 tons and can process approximately 240 used solar panels per day. After the aluminum frame is separated by a sorter, the glass surface of the panel is separated into sheets and cullet-shaped glass by a crusher, and each is supplied to a recycling route. In addition, damaged or deformed waste panels, which are usually difficult to dispose of, are properly disposed of.
The equipment used for decomposition processing was delivered by Chiyoda Machinery (Sugito Town, Saitama Prefecture). In addition, K Corporation (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) cooperates with business schemes such as reuse (reuse as used panels).
The site area of the factory is 667m2 (including the storage area). The location is about 15 minutes from the Isesaki IC on the Kita Kanto Expressway, which makes it easy to access and has excellent transportation efficiency. In the future, the used panels, which are expected to expand rapidly, will be dismantled into a form that can be recycled (reused as a material).
Solar panels have a product lifespan of about 25 to 30 years, and are expected to be replaced in large numbers in the 2030s due to aging deterioration. In addition, the proper disposal of damaged panels due to the increasing number of natural disasters in recent years has become an issue. To solve these problems, J&T Kankyo is preparing for a solar panel disassembly business from 2020, and has know-how such as efficient collection of used panels, appropriate reuse and recycling methods, and securing recycling routes. have accumulated.
