One of the industry’s leading module recycling companies, Loser Chemie GmbH develops and distributes future-oriented and environment-friendly products, plants and processes. It’s currently focussing on getting the very most out of PV recycling, but as Dr. Wolfram Palitzsch (CTO) and Ulrich Loser (CEO) observe, there are a few obstacles that need to be negotiated along the way…
PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to begin by introducing the company and explaining how you serve the PV industry?
Wolfram Palitzsch: The roots of Loser Chemie GmbH are closely linked with water chemistry and recycling, and for the PV industry in particular, the company has developed a range of cutting-edge, environmentally friendly recycling methods for the rare metals found in photovoltaic production scrap or end-of-life-waste, such as indium, gallium, tellurium, silver, etc.
Our technological capabilities cover the complete customer service, because our goal is to help the solar industry to reduce costs and to become green, from the beginning to the end of a module’s lifecycle.
PES: Roughly what percentage of a module can be recycled at present? What challenges currently prevent this figure from reaching 100%?
WP: In our experimental system, we have recycled nearly 100% – and this is certainly possible in a large system. However, under WEEE quotas, 100% recycling is not necessary.
When a module is, for example, 90% glass, then grinding and recycling in foam glass or fibre glass is sufficient to achieve the required rate. But the 1% of rare metals are lost. We would like it if there was a quota set for all used materials.
PES: Environmentally-friendly products and services seem to be no longer such a pressing issue for consumers. Is the same true for companies? Or has the media spotlight merely shifted for the time being?
Ulrich Loser: We do not believe that the end user is not environmentally conscious.
However, environmental awareness must also be affordable. Finally, a healthy balance between economy and ecology only lead to success.
As for the media, on the one hand it is good if education is operated. On the other, it is a major feat to convey the complexity of this problem to all equally.
PES: Just how competitive is your corner of the solar/PV market? Would it be fair to say that it’s an area that’s set to grow still further?
UL: This is a difficult question. If everything were normal, one could say that we are one of the few companies worldwide that recycle already active and demonstrable amounts photovoltaic waste.
But we are still dependent on input quantities. A large plant requires a critical amount of waste so that they can operate economically – and that could not be said of the last two years. And that is also the reason why Loser Chemie could not invest in this area. Currently, the market is not stable and there are too many gossips. There are many studies that predict large amounts of return – but no one can say when that will be exactly.
