ACEN plans to recycle panels for the 400 MW Solar Project in Australia

ACEN Australia has unveiled its plan to recycle nearly a million solar panels at the end of the life of the 400 MW Stubbo Solar Project in central-western New South Wales, Australia.

Stubbo Solar is the first large-scale project to meet independent standards designed to make circular management commercially viable, earning certification from the Circular PV Alliance against ‘CPVA Certified’ — the world’s first assurance framework developed specifically for solar circularity.

The project earned an ‘Exceeds’ rating for circular-economy practices that go beyond baseline requirements, recognising the project’s whole-of-lifecycle approach to managing materials as valuable resources rather than waste.

Stubbo Solar began generating power this year and will reach full commercial operations by the end of November, having secured a 20-year Long Term Service Agreement in 2021 in the NSW Government’s first renewable energy and storage auction.

The CPVA Certified framework assesses projects across planning, procurement, operations and decommissioning, verifying that PV modules and other project components have credible reuse or recycling pathways.

It also reviews supply-chain transparency, waste-minimisation plans and repair programs during operation