ROSI will foster the circular photovoltaic value chain in France
ROSI was selected by Soren to recycle silicon and silver from end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) modules thanks to its proprietary technologies enabling the recovery of high value raw materials. ROSI was selected in partnership with Envie 2E Aquitaine for the revalorisation of end-of-life PV modules in France. Soren (formerly named PV Cycle), the producer responsibility organisation in charge of the collection and recycling of PV modules in France, chose the solution presented by ROSI and Envie 2E Aquitaine, allowing a high-quality recovery of valuable raw materials from the PV value chain with a low environmental impact.
From 2015 to 2020, Soren collected more than 15 000 tons of end-of-life PV modules in France. As a response to the fast-growing market of used PV modules, the organisation selected three new recycling operators for the French market for the coming years. Soren expects at least 7 000 tons to recycle in 2021 and 20 000 tons in 2025. Economic, social, and environmental aspects and the scalability of the recycling technologies were paramount in Soren’s decision.
Boosting the raw materials lifecycle and increasing renewable energy production efficiency
Deeply engaged in technological innovations, ROSI is among the first companies in Europe to offer an industrial solution to economically recover high-purity silicon, silver, and copper from the end-of-life PV modules. Thanks to the high quality of the recycled raw materials, ROSI’s innovative processes can be quickly scaled up to reach sustainable profitability. Besides the low environmental impact of ROSI’s recycling process, the reintegration of the recycled raw materials in the industry reduces the overall environmental impact of the PV industry.
Combined with ENVIE’s recognised expertise in the collection, logistics, refurbishment, and job creation, ROSI is confident that its solutions will strengthen the contribution of the PV industry to the energy transition and society. The positive impacts of this brand new industrial activity will create an independent source of high-purity silicon dedicated to European industrial recovery. Participating in the strategic independence of Europe regarding critical raw materials is one of the key missions of ROSI.
With the support of Ademe, BPI France, EIT RawMaterials, EIT InnoEnergy, and more recently, the European Innovation Council, ROSI is moving forward with its industrial development. ROSI participated in the EIT Jumpstarter programme in 2017 and was a winner in the sector of recycling and circular economy. Afterwards, the team was selected for the EIT RawMaterials Booster in 2018 to scale up the technology to a TRL 6 to facilitate business with targeted customers. Yun Luo, Co-founder and CEO at ROSI, was also nominated for the EIT Woman Award 2018 that recognises the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs and leaders from the EIT Innovation Community. ROSI is now a partner of the EIT RawMaterials Innovation Community and is involved in the upscaling project ReProSolar that aims to demonstrate a high-grade photovoltaic recovery value chain in Europe.
In the coming years, ROSI expects to build new partnerships and will expand its recycling activities in Europe. The goal of the company is to become a market leader in terms of recycling standards and recycled volumes in order to make the PV industry truly circular.
