Livium (ASX: LIT) has achieved a major milestone in its solar panel recycling initiative, shipping 600 end‑of‑life (EoL) solar panels from Australia to strategic partner Won Kwang S&T in South Korea.
The shipment marks the completion of Livium’s Phase 1 responsibilities under the collaboration agreement and advances efforts to develop a comprehensive, circular solar recycling solution.
The panels, collected and packed from Envirostream’s Victorian site on 16 January, are expected to arrive in South Korea on 12 February.
They will be processed using Won Kwang S&T’s proprietary photovoltaic (PV) recycling technology, designed to validate large‑scale recovery of valuable materials from retired modules.
The shipment fulfils obligations set under a non‑binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) executed between Livium and Won Kwang S&T in September 2025.
Livium Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Simon Linge said the milestone demonstrates the company’s commitment to unlocking value from Australia’s growing stream of solar panel waste.
“The first shipment under the Won Kwang S&T partnership represents an important step toward unlocking critical materials from end-of-life solar panels using proven international recycling technology,” said Linge.
“The federal government’s recently announced plans to support solar panel recycling adds to our belief that there is a great opportunity in this area.”
Linge said Livium’s focus is on consolidating end‑of‑life solar panels and partnering with specialist technology providers to ensure value is shared across the recycling chain.
He noted that Won Kwang S&T’s process allows for efficient separation of solar cells, while IonDrive is testing its extraction approach to recover key materials like silver.
Linge added that early results from these collaborative efforts are anticipated soon, with market updates to follow as validation advances.
Silver has emerged as a key driver in the economics of solar panel recycling.
Although it represents a small portion of a panel’s weight, it accounts for around 34 per cent of recoverable material value in crystalline silicon PV modules; the dominant technology in Australia’s installed base.
Australia currently generates an estimated 60,000 tonnes of solar panel waste annually, a figure projected to exceed 90,000 tonnes by 2030 as early rooftop systems in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland reach their end of life.
This waste stream contains roughly 0.8 million ounces of silver, worth approximately $110 million at current prices.
By 2030, that value could rise to $165 million as recovery technologies mature and recycling scales up.
Rising silver prices and growing global demand for the metal in photovoltaics and electrification industries underscore the economic opportunity for local recovery solutions.
In parallel with Won Kwang S&T’s processing work, Livium is collaborating with IonDrive to apply its IONSolv™ technology to downstream silver recovery, targeting higher material yields and circular supply chains.
Momentum for the sector is also building at policy level. Earlier this month, the federal government announced a $24.7 million National Solar Panel Recycling Pilot, including up to 100 collection sites nationwide.
The initiative aims to reduce solar waste, recover valuable materials, and inform frameworks for a long‑term, sustainable recycling industry.
Livium welcomed the program as a step toward establishing the collection and logistics systems required to underpin large‑scale domestic recycling.
The company expects such initiatives to enhance commercial feasibility as processing volumes grow and landfill diversion becomes a national priority.
Livium’s partnership with Won Kwang S&T is structured in three phases.
Phase 1, now complete, involves validating the South Korean firm’s technology using Australian EoL panels.
Phase 2 will see Livium supply partially dismantled, frameless panels for further processing.
Phase 3 envisions the establishment of a joint venture to build and operate an Australian recycling facility based on Won Kwang S&T’s technology.
The phased, asset‑light approach allows Livium to leverage existing infrastructure and partnerships while evaluating the best path to local manufacturing investment.