Recognising the importance of a closed-loop approach to renewable energy, Sembcorp and Singapore Polytechnic are working together to research and commercialise Singapore's first solar panel recycling process.

Developed locally by researchers, it involves extracting recyclable materials (>90% by weight) from parts of used solar panels, such as glass, silicon, and metals including silver and aluminium. The team is now building a demonstration pilot line to test its commercial viability. Once the pilot is successful, this initiative would help us and the industry to actively manage and repurpose the panels and put Singapore on the map for PV recycling.

The team also clinched the 2020 Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award under the Applied Research and Development Category for the co-development of a method to recycle end-of-life solar panels.