China releases guidelines to boost recycling and end-of-life PV module waste management

Beijing (ANTARA) – China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with five other government departments, issued guidelines to promote the comprehensive recycling and reuse of end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) modules, with the aim of building system-level capacity to cope with the wave of large-scale operational shutdowns expected to occur.

China will raise the level of green manufacturing for PV modules, increase the use of recycled materials, and improve waste assessment standards as well as testing and inspection methods, according to the guidelines, which set a target for cumulative comprehensive utilisation of up to 250,000 tonnes of used PV modules by 2027.

The guidelines urge breakthroughs in several key technologies, such as surface structure dismantling processes, high-efficiency separation of laminated parts, and extraction of components, and call for wider adoption of recycled PV-derived products across sectors including metal smelting, equipment manufacturing, and building materials.

Efforts will be made to develop a suite of technical standards for applying environmentally friendly design and comprehensive utilisation of PV modules, as well as to foster a group of leading companies involved in the comprehensive utilisation of end-of-life PV modules.

By 2030, the guidelines target further advances in recycling technology and equipment, stronger industrial innovation, and expanded application scenarios for recycled products, with more coordinated upstream and downstream supply chains and well-organised distributed capacity able to meet the challenges of large-scale PV module waste waves.