ACEN Pioneers Panel Recycling at 400MW Stubbo Solar

• ACEN’s 400‑MW Stubbo Solar goes live by late November, powering 185,000 homes—and sets a first-of-its-kind circularity benchmark with CPVA “exceeds” rating and end-of-life recycling for 1M panels.

ACEN Australia will launch full commercial operations by late November at its 400-MW Stubbo Solar project in New South Wales and has arranged end-of-life recycling for nearly one million panels. The unit of Philippine-listed ACEN Corporation says the initiative embeds circularity and is the first large-scale project to meet independent circular-management standards.

Stubbo Solar received an “exceeds” rating from the Circular PV Alliance for its whole-of-lifecycle approach, which CPVA says helps build recovery demand signals and supply chains. Located about 10 km north of Gulgong, the plant will power roughly 185,000 homes and operates under a 20-year LTSA secured in NSW’s 2021 renewables auction.

What makes Stubbo Solar’s circular management exceed CPVA standards, and how is recycling executed?

Circular design and procurement
- Specifies modules, inverters, cabling, and mounting with high-recyclate content and easy-to-disassemble bill of materials
- Prioritizes adhesives, encapsulants, and backsheet chemistries that enable delamination and material purity above typical CPVA benchmarks
Verified extended producer responsibility
- Contracted take-back obligations with OEMs and independent recyclers for the full fleet, with performance bonds and insurance to guarantee capacity at end of life
- Funds ring‑fenced for decommissioning and recycling, audited annually, exceeding minimum CPVA financial assurance criteria
Traceability and data
- Serial-level tracking from installation to end of life; each panel and major component barcoded to link yield, warranty, and recycling pathway
- Open reporting of recovery rates, leakage, and downstream destinations to CPVA-aligned registries, not just self-declared summaries
Higher recovery targets and reuse hierarchy
- Commits to reuse and refurbishment first, with screening protocols to redeploy viable panels to community/industrial users
- Sets material recovery targets above CPVA baselines for glass, aluminum, copper, and silicon, including silver-bearing paste capture where feasible
Local circular supply-chain development
- Contracts prioritize NSW/ANZ processing to shorten transport, reduce emissions, and stimulate secondary markets for cullet, billet, and polymers
- Creates demand agreements with manufacturers using recovered materials, closing the loop rather than exporting mixed scrap
Environmental and social safeguards
- Zero-landfill covenant for PV components and hazardous fractions, with independent verification
- Worker safety, chemical controls, and transport standards aligned to ISO 14001/45001 and state waste regulations

How recycling is executed
- On-site triage and logistics
- Panels are inspected, electrically tested, and sorted into reuse, repair, or recycle streams; serials scanned to update custody records
- Palletized transport to certified facilities with GPS-tracked chain of custody
Mechanical and thermal separation
- Aluminum frames and junction boxes removed for direct recycling
- Glass and cells delaminated by controlled heat or mechanical processes to preserve glass cullet quality and free silicon wafers
Materials recovery
- Glass refined for reuse in glass products or insulation
- Aluminum frames remelted into billet for racking or construction
- Copper wiring and busbars granulated and refined; junction box plastics separated for polymer recycling
- Silicon and silver-bearing fractions recovered through chemical or pyro-metallurgical steps where available; EVA/backsheet handled to minimize contaminants
Hazardous and residual management
- Encapsulant residues, fluorinated backsheets, and trace metals treated via approved hazardous-waste pathways; no co-disposal with general waste
Documentation and verification
- Each batch receives a recycling certificate detailing input serials, process route, recovery percentages, and destinations, audited against CPVA-aligned criteria
Feedback to design and procurement
- Recovery data informs future component choices, favoring designs and suppliers that improve disassembly speed, material purity, and resale potential