October 25, 2019
Marubeni Corporation
Marubeni Tetsugen Co., Ltd
Marubeni Metals Corporation
Tottori Resource Recycling, Inc.
Strategic Partnership for Solar Panel Recycling
Marubeni Corporation, Marubeni Tetsugen Co., Ltd, Marubeni Metals Corporation (hereinafter, "Marubeni Group"), and Tottori Resource Recycling, Inc. (hereinafter, "Tottori Resource Recycling") have entered into a Strategic Partnership Agreement today, to jointly undertake a solar panel recycling business by utilizing the patented glass forming technology of Tottori Resource Recycling.
Aiming for the maximum 1.5 °C temperature increase target set by the Paris Agreement, governments have announced a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero (net zero) by 2050. The shift to renewable energy will continue to progress and solar power generation is also expected to increase significantly.
On the other hand, solar panel waste is estimated to grow 10 times in 10 years and 200 times in 20 years. Solar panels are dismantled and recycled for each part. However, tempered glass, which accounts for more than 70% of the panel weight, is difficult to recycle, and is currently disposed of in landfills. It has been pointed out that disposal of tempered glass will become a major social problem in terms of the environment. (*1)
Marubeni Group and Tottori Resource Recycling will collect solar panel and use tempered glass as raw materials, and manufacture formed porous glass material utilizing the patented technology of Tottori Resource Recycling. This glass foaming technology makes it possible to detoxify and immobilize harmful substances such as heavy metals contained in glass. The manufactured formed porous glass material enhances the soil by increasing the water retention capacity in the soil, and in the water, it improves the water quality by becoming a habitation for microbes that purify water.
Marubeni Group and Tottori Resource Recycling will transform the tempered glass, which is said to be difficult to recycle, into a valuable product that is friendly to the global environment. By reducing waste and improving the environment, we aim to provide diversified solutions to environmental issues in order to realize a sustainable society.
(*1) Related press release from Ministry of Environment (Japanese) https://www.env.go.jp/press/files/jp/110514.pdf
Solar Panel Recycling Flowchart | ||
Solar Panel | Panel Dismantling | Glass |
Glass Separation | Processing | |
Glass | Formed Porous Glass |
Forming | Material |
< Company Profile> | |
Company Name | Marubeni Corporation |
Office | Tokyo Nihombashi Tower, 7-1, Nihonbashi 2-chome,Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-6060, Japan |
Incorporated | December 1, 1949 |
Paid-in Capital | JPY 262,686 million(As of Mar, 2019) |
Main Business | Marubeni Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries use their broad business |
networks, both within Japan and overseas, to conduct importing and exporting (including | |
third country trading), as well as domestic business, encompassing a diverse range of | |
business activities across wide-ranging fields including lifestyle, ICT & real estate | |
business, forest products, food, agri business, chemicals, power business, energy, metals | |
& mineral resources, plant, aerospace & ship, finance & leasing business, construction, | |
auto & industrial machinery, and next generation business development. Additionally, the | |
Marubeni Group offers a variety of services, makes internal and external investments, and | |
is involved in resource development throughout all of the above industries. | |
Website | https://www.marubeni.com/en/ |
Company Name | Marubeni Tetsugen Co., Ltd |
Office | 1-21 Agebacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0824 Japan |
Incorporated | July 1981 |
Paid-in Capital | JPY 490 million |
Main Business | Domestic sales, import and export of raw materials for the production of iron & steel, |
minerals, powder metallurgy materials, special metals, etc. | |
Website | https://www.marubeni-tetsugen.co.jp/en/ |
Company Name | Marubeni Metals Corporation |
Office | 1-7Kudan-Kita4-chome,Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8250 Japan |
Incorporated | January 11, 1983 |
Paid-in Capital | JPY 1,300 million |
Main Business | Domestic sales, import and export of non-ferrous and aluminum products |
Website | https://www.marumet.co.jp/english/ |
Company Name | Tottori Resources Recycling, Inc. |
Office | 583 Higashi-sono,Hokuei-cho,Tohaku-gun, Tottori, 689-2202, Japan |
Incorporated | December, 2001 |
Paid-in Capital | JPY 40million |
Main Business | Producing foam glass by clean recycling process(patented technology) |
Inventing and selling solutions based on foam glass | |
Website | https://www.t-rrl.jp/en/ |
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Marubeni Corporation published this content on 25 October 2019 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 25 October 2019 02:15:03 UTC