October 21, 2024Environment & CSR

AGC Glass Europe and Photovoltaic Recycling Pioneer ROSI Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Circularity in The Glass Industry

AGC (AGC Inc.; Headquarters: Tokyo; President: Yoshinori Hirai) a global leader in glass, chemicals and other advanced materials, announces that its wholly-owned subsidiary, AGC Glass Europe (Headquarters: Belgium) has entered into a strategic partnership with ROSI (Headquarters: France; CEO: Yun Luo), a frontrunner in the recovery and recycling of high-volume raw materials from the photovoltaic industry.

Picture ROSI AGC contract

The agreement was signed in Saint Honoré, France, on September 13, 2024.

AGC Glass Europe, which primarily manufactures and sells flat glass for construction and automotive glazing, has been working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its glass manufacturing process (February 2023 release).
In Europe, the introduction of feed-in tariff (FIT) schemes in the late 2000s led to the widespread adoption of solar panels, a trend that is expected to continue in the future. On the other hand, the lifespan of solar panels is generally considered to be 20 to 30 years, and it is estimated that the number of solar panels being disposed of in Europe will increase significantly. Through this partnership, AGC Glass Europe will utilize cullet from the cover glass of solar panels as a raw material for flat glass, using ROSI’s technology to recycle solar panels into high purity raw materials.
The creation of a value chain from solar panels to flat glass by the two companies will not only reduce the environmental impact of solar panel disposal, but also lead to savings in the use of virgin materials in glass production, as well as reductions in raw fuel consumption and CO2 emissions*.

In its medium-term management plan, AGC plus-2026, the AGC Group has defined "three social values" that it creates through its products and technologies. Under the "Blue Planet" category, the Group is working to achieve a sustainable global environment by reducing the environmental impact of its products, from the sourcing of raw materials to their use by customers. The Group will continue to create value for society by accelerating the efficient use of resources.


Reference Information
- For more information, please refer to the following news release from AGC Glass Europe.
AGC Glass Europe and photovoltaic recycling pioneer ROSI announce strategic partnership to advance circularity in the glass industry | AGC Glass Europe

- The AGC Group is also continuing its efforts to recycle the cover glass of solar panels in Japan.
AGC Achieves Success in Demonstration test of Solar Panel Cover Glass Recycling (November 7, 2023)
AGC Achieves Additional Success in Demonstration Test of Solar Panel Cover Glass Recycling (March 25, 2024)

NOTE
* The use of 1 ton of glass cullet as a secondary material in float glass production saves 0.5~0.7 tons of CO2 and 1.2 tons of new raw materials.

About the AGC Group
AGC Inc. is the parent company of the AGC Group, a world-leading glass solution provider and supplier of flat, automotive and display glass, chemicals, ceramics and other high-tech materials and components. Based on more than a century of technical innovation, the AGC Group has developed a wide range of cutting-edge products. The AGC Group employs some 56,000 people worldwide and generates annual sales of approximately 1.7 trillion Japanese yen through business in about 30 countries. For more information, please visit www.agc.com/en

Media inquiries
Chikako Ogawa, General Manager, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Division
AGC Inc.
Contact: Ariki
TEL: +81-3-3218-5603