ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF SILICON KERF SECONDARY PRODUCTS IN PILOT PROCESSES OVER CONVENTIONAL PRODUCTION OF EQUIVALENT PRODUCTS WITH PRIMARY RAW MATERIALS IN CHINA AND EUROPE

bifa Umweltinstitut GmbH is evaluating four pilot units newly developed in the ICARUS project forprocessing silicon kerf waste into secondary materials and marketable products and shows whether an ecologicalimprovement compared to the conventional Chinese and European supply of functionally equivalent materials fromprimary raw material can be achieved. The evaluation is done using the method of life cycle assessment (LCA). Theturning of PV waste silicon kerf into secondary raw materials or marketable products eliminates a large part of theenvironmental impact associated with the conventional production of equivalent raw materials or products. Thereduction in environmental impact ranges from more than 85% for the production of secondary metallurgical grade andsolar grade silicon compared to the conventional production in China over more than 75% for the production ofsecondary metallurgical grade and solar grade silicon compared to the conventional production in Europe to more than30% for the production of hydrogen and water glass from silicon kerf waste compared to the conventional productionin Europe. Thus, the newly developed processes in the ICARUS project not only reduce dependence on supplies fromAsia, but also help to reduce harmful emissions into the environment during the production of raw materials