Italian PV equipment manufacturer Ecoprogetti has delivered a fully-automated, industrial line for the recycling of end-of-life solar modules to Haiki+ Group, an Italian circular economy and environmental services company.

It has been operational since early 2025 in Sale, northwestern Italy, at a recycling and waste treatment plant. It is capable of processing up to 120 solar panels each hour, equivalent to approximately 4 tonnes an hour. This capacity corresponds to a nominal potential of around 700,000 tonnes annually if in continuous operation. It currently operates with an uptime of 94%, which Ecoprogetti says is one of the highest in the industry.

Ecoprogetti told pv magazine its line combines a patented air-based glass removal system with an electromechanical recycling process that separates module components through dedicated stages in order to minimise cross-contamination and preserve the quality of the recovered materials.

“The process includes automatic panel recognition, junction box and frame removal, module flipping, glass removal, material shredding, separation and collection,” the company explained.

Recovery results shared with pv magazine show conversion rates of 100% for aluminium and junction boxes, 99% for copper, glass and plastic and 95% for silicon at a purity of 100% for aluminium and junction boxes, 99% for glass, 98% for copper and silicon and 88% for plastic.

The line is capable of recycling mono and polycrystalline, double glass and bifacial solar panels, as well as the glass and backsheet from panels. It can also process modules with broken or cracked glass, missing parts, hail or fire damage, corrosion or delamination, as well as old or worn panels.

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