Launch of Microwave-based Demonstration Project for Closed-loop Recycling of Solar Panel Glass — Selected for the Subsidy Program by the Ministry of the Environment —

TRE HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Microwave Chemical Co., Ltd.

TAKEEI CORPORATION (Minato-ku, Tokyo), a consolidated subsidiary of TRE HOLDINGS CORPORATION (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), and Microwave Chemical Co., Ltd. (Suita-shi, Osaka) jointly applied for the Ministry of the Environment’s FY 2025 CO₂ Emission Reduction Demonstration Project for Resource Circulation with a proposal titled “Microwave-based Demonstration Project for Closed-loop Recycling of Solar Panel Glass” and the proposal has been selected.

According to estimates by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, annual volumes of end‑of‑life photovoltaic (PV) panels are projected to exceed 200,000 tons from the mid‑2030s, and to reach up to approximately 500,000 tons per year after 2040.^*1 Consequently, closed‑loop glass‑to‑glass material recycling of cover glass from PV panels is important from the perspective of promoting domestic resource circulation and substituting for imported glass raw materials. In addition, recycling processes with reduced CO₂ emissions are desired. To advance material recycling, however, it is essential to establish technologies that remove or reduce the ethylene‑vinyl acetate (EVA) resin used to bond and encapsulate the backsheet^*2 and the glass, thereby stabilizing product quality.

To promote closed‑loop material recycling of glass cullet^*3 recovered from end‑of‑life solar panels (including cracked glass), the two companies will develop and conduct demonstration tests of a technology that removes/reduces EVA resin using microwaves. Because microwaves directly heat target materials, energy loss can be minimized, enabling efficient reduction of EVA; as a result, total CO₂ emissions across the recycling process can be significantly lowered. In addition, this project assumes the introduction of compact, distributed treatment systems, which offer high siting flexibility and can also reduce transportation‑related costs and CO₂ emissions.

Starting from this project, the two companies will work to address the emerging social issue of large‑scale disposal of end‑of‑life solar panels, while accelerating the creation of innovative technologies and businesses in the environmental and energy fields.

■Notes

*1  Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Ministry of the Environment (MOE), “Current Status and Issues Surrounding Disposal and Recycling of Photovoltaic Power Generation Equipment (Document 3),” 2024. https://www.meti.go.jp/shingikai/sankoshin/sangyo_gijutsu/resource_circulation/solar_power_generation/pdf/001_03_00.pdf

*2  Backsheet: A sheet that protects photovoltaic cells from heat, ultraviolet rays, and moisture.
*3  Glass cullet: Glass fragments produced by crushing waste glass for use as recycled raw material.

■Company Overviews

TAKEEI CORPORATION
TAKEEI is a core company within TRE HOLDINGS, which operates under the corporate philosophy “we are committed to the conservation of the global environment” and pursues the long‑term vision of becoming a WX (waste transformation) environmental company. As a leading waste management company, TAKEEI has established an integrated system in Japan’s Tokyo metropolitan area that covers the collection and transportation of construction‑related industrial waste, as well as its intermediate treatment, recycling, and final disposal, while also engaging in manufacturing that utilizes waste as raw material. TAKEEI contributes to creating an efficient recycling and carbon-neutral society.

Microwave Chemical Co., Ltd.
Microwave Chemical have built a proprietary technology platform that optimizes the industrial use of microwaves—familiar from household microwave ovens. Microwave Chemical provide end‑to‑end solutions from R&D to commercial deployment that improve energy efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions across diverse fields including chemicals, steelmaking, and metal refining. Today, Microwave Chemical are advancing joint development with more than 60 partners in Japan and abroad, contributing to manufacturing process innovation and the realization of carbon neutrality.