AGC Glass Europe and ROSI, pioneer in photovoltaic recycling, announce strategic partnership to advance circularity in the glass industry

Leveraging AGC Glass Europe’s extensive experience in glass manufacturing and ROSI’s expertise in transforming end-of-life photovoltaic modules into high-purity raw materials, this partnership will enable the integration of recycled photovoltaic glass cullet into the flat glass industry, contributing to a significant reduction in carbon emissions in this sector.

Signed a few days ago in Saint Honoré, in the presence of Itochu, a major investor in ROSI, this partnership agreement marks an important step in the creation of a more sustainable and circular flat glass and photovoltaic value chain.

Glass recycling requires 25% less energy than producing glass from virgin raw material, making it more cost-effective and sustainable. With solar panels being 70% glass, end-of-life panels have the potential to become a major component of the glass industry supply chain. Through this collaboration, AGC Glass Europe and ROSI aim to recycle and reuse large volumes of PV glass in the production of flat glass. This not only provides the raw material needed by the glass industry, but also reduces the environmental impact of end-of-life PV panels.

For Marc Foguenne, Vice President for Sustainable Development at AGC Glass Europe: “We are taking an important step towards our goals of reducing Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 30% by 2030, becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and reducing the environmental impact of our operations. Photovoltaic glass is highly transparent and clean, making it a valuable source of recycled material for our plants. However, its composition is different from our standard products, which means that technical innovation is needed to enable recycling within our processes. This is precisely where ROSI comes in as a technical partner to integrate sustainable practices, which are at the heart of our values.”

In addition to supporting the circular economy, both companies can significantly reduce the carbon emissions associated with glass manufacturing. Using one tonne of glass cullet as a secondary material in float glass production saves 0,7 tonnes of CO2 and 1,2 tonnes of new raw materials. Research and development teams have already successfully conducted trials on the use of glass cullet from photovoltaic panels in flat glass production, demonstrating the feasibility of using recycled glass without compromising the quality or performance of the final product. The results indicate that the incorporation of recycled glass could become a standard part of AGC’s production process.

For Yun Luo, President of ROSI: “This partnership with AGC Glass Europe is an important step in our mission to recycle and reuse valuable raw materials recycled by the photovoltaic industry. Together, we are creating a more sustainable future for the solar and glass industries. We are very pleased to sign this agreement in the presence of our investor Itochu, who has always been a great support for our development.”

Masayoshi Takezaki, general manager of the renewable energy business section of Itochu Corporation, said: “We are delighted to announce the new partnership between AGC and ROSI. As a shareholder and partner of ROSI, we also look forward to introducing ROSI technology to contribute to the growing demand in Japan in the very near future.”