Pioneering Australian “solar upcycling” start-up strikes deal with Italian energy giant

Emerging Australian solar recycling outfit Elecsome has inked another promising deal with another big energy market player, after signing a long-term services framework agreement with Enel Green Power Australia.

ElecSome, which earlier this year commissioned Australia’s first solar panel “upcycling” plant in Victoria, announced the Enel deal on Tuesday, just a month after agreeing to work with AGL Energy on a similar facility in New South Wales.

The June deal saw Elecsome agree to work up a feasibility study for a facility with the potential to upcycle half a million solar panels a year at the site of AGL’s shuttered Liddell coal plant.

A second stage would then focus on the extraction of high value materials, including silicon wafer for re-use in PV and battery grade silicon, electric conductors for re-use in electrical appliances, and the extraction and re-use of silver, copper and aluminium.

Enel Green Power Australia – a joint venture company co-owned by Italian giant Enel Green Power and Inpex Renewable Energy Australia – says its deal with Elecsome is for future instances where “panel upcycling” might be required across its portfolio of solar assets.

Elecsome in April announced the successful commissioning of its first solar upcycling facility in Victoria, in association with the federal department of industry, The University of Melbourne and RMIT.

The company, whose patented technology transforms used solar panels into new products used in the construction and manufacturing industries, was one of 10 start-ups to take part in EnergyLab’s 2023 Climate Solutions Accelerator program.

One of its main products, SolarCrete – a pre-mixed concrete made using glass recovered from used solar panels – will form part of the feasibility study at the Hunter site, the companies say.

Elecsome managing director, Neeraj Das, describes resource recovery and upcycling of solar panels as Australia’s “next-gen mining” opportunity.

In a statement on LinkedIn on Tuesday, Das said Enel Green Power Australia is one of the first companies in Australia to sign a long-term agreement with Elecsome to responsibly recycle end-of-life PV panels.

“We appreciate their environmentally friendly approach towards #NetZero and circular economy initiatives,” Das said.

“We’re committed to circular economy principles across our portfolio and recognise Elecsome’s innovative approach and capability as one of Australia’s first solar panel ‘upcycling’ plants,” said Enel Australia chief Werther Esposito.