AGL Energy and Elecsome have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of a solar panel recycling plant and a solar cable manufacturing plant at AGL’s Hunter Energy Hub Bayswater e-Recycling Precinct.
This initiative aims to assess the engineering and infrastructure requirements, as well as the key environmental and regulatory approvals necessary for the development, construction, and operation of both facilities.
If realised, the recycling plant would be Elecsome’s first commercial-scale solar panel recycling facility in New South Wales (NSW), with the capacity to upcycle up to 500,000 residential and grid-scale solar panels annually.
Elecsome has developed a patented technology to repurpose the glass from solar panels, which constitutes over 70 per cent of their material, into SolarCrete — a pre-mixed concrete suitable for construction activities such as driveways and footpaths.
This product will be included in the feasibility study at the Hunter site.
The proposed solar cable manufacturing plant is expected to produce up to 20,000 kilometres of solar cable per year, catering to residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar installations.
The successful development of these plants is projected to generate approximately 20 jobs during the two-year construction phase and around 50 jobs once fully operational.
AGL’s General Manager of Energy Hubs, Travis Hughes, highlighted the significance of this partnership, stating, “Since the closure of Liddell Power Station one year ago, we have signed MOUs that could bring battery recycling with Renewable Metals and solar panel manufacturing with SunDrive to the Hunter Energy Hub.
“[Now] we add solar panel recycling and solar cable manufacturing to that list of partners. These partnerships have the potential to make a significant contribution to the economy of the Upper Hunter by creating new jobs in the renewable energy sector.”
Elecsome CEO, Neeraj Das, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating: “We are thrilled to join the Hunter Energy Hub and contribute to the journey toward net zero, while also advancing resource recovery and onshore manufacturing.”
Elecsome has already commissioned its first solar PV upcycling facility in Melbourne, where it transforms solar panels into new products for the construction and manufacturing industries.
If the feasibility study is successful, a second stage of the recycling facility is planned to focus on extracting high-value materials such as silicon wafers, electric conductors, and silver, copper, and aluminium frames for reuse in various industries.
AGL’s vision for the Hunter Energy Hub is to create a low-carbon integrated energy hub designed with circular economy principles, bringing together industries that can positively contribute to the energy transition — including renewable energy generation, grid-scale batteries, green advanced manufacturing, and associated industries.
