Solar Panel Recycling | Critical Materials Recovery

Solar Materials GmbH – Seeking Strategic Partners for Japan Market Entry Circular Economy | Solar Panel Recycling | Critical Materials Recovery

Solar Materials GmbH, Europe's technology leader in photovoltaic panel recycling, is actively seeking Japanese partners to bring its proven silver recovery technology to the Japanese market.

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Magdeburg, Germany, Solar Materials has developed a patented thermo-mechanical recycling process that recovers high-purity silver, silicon, glass, aluminum, copper, and plastics from end-of-life solar panels — without the use of chemicals. With a Series B funding round completed and operations scaling across Europe, we are now ready to expand into Japan, one of the world's largest and fastest-growing solar panel decommissioning markets.

Why Japan, why now? Japan faces an impending wave of first-generation solar panel retirements, with millions of panels reaching end-of-life over the coming decade. Our technology offers a clean, efficient, and economically compelling solution to recover critical raw materials — particularly silver — and reintroduce them into the supply chain, directly supporting Japan's circular economy and resource security objectives.

Partnership models we are considering:

• Joint Venture (JV): Co-establish a dedicated recycling entity in Japan, combining Solar Materials' technology with a local partner's market access, regulatory expertise, and operational infrastructure.

• Operator Model: License our technology and processes to a qualified Japanese operator capable of running certified recycling facilities at scale.

We are targeting operations within the Tokyo Metropolitan Area Special Headquarter Zone and are open to engaging with industrial groups, waste management companies, trading houses, and utilities with relevant experience and networks.

What we offer: A fully validated, export-ready recycling technology with demonstrated recovery rates, scalable equipment, and full technical transfer support from our engineering team.

Get in touch: If you are a Japanese company or consortium interested in exploring a partnership, we welcome your inquiry. Together, we can build a sustainable closed-loop solution for solar materials in Japan.