Clean energy solutions provider Engie North America (ENGIE) and solar recycling company SOLARCYCLE are set to pilot a new “precycling” model by incorporating module and component recycling provisions directly into the power purchase agreements of four upcoming solar projects.

The precycling provision will help developers incorporate end-of-life material recycling at the start of the project’s lifecycle.

The agreements guarantee that approximately one million modules from 375 MW of solar projects across the U.S. Midwest will be recycled at the end of their lifespan, promoting the full circularity of the projects.

This collaboration aims to ensure that solar modules and system components will have full traceability. It targets meeting the parties’ circularity goals and utilizing SOLARCYCLE’s advanced tracking solutions to return modules and system components to the domestic supply chain, helping to form the next generation of clean energy materials.

SOLARCYCLE estimates that 48 million pounds of material will be diverted from landfills under this provision. All construction waste and system components will be recycled to the maximum extent possible.

ENGIE said this collaboration is part of its focused approach to achieving circularity and reducing its carbon footprint.

The initial projects under this agreement are expected to be completed in the coming few years, adding over 12 GW of solar, wind, and battery storage capacity to ENGIE’s portfolio in North America.

Last year, SOLARCYCLE announced a $344 million investment in a solar glass manufacturing facility in Cedartown, Georgia, which will utilize recycled materials from retired solar modules to produce new solar glass. The new manufacturing facility is scheduled to commence construction this year and is expected to be operational by 2026.

In June, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy invited proposals for the ‘Innovation Challenge for Circularity in Renewable Energy Technologies – Batteries and Solar Photovoltaic.’ This program emphasizes second-life use and recycling innovations that encourage reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing, recycling, and recovery of materials from waste solar modules and batteries.

The Central Pollution Control Board issued draft guidelines for the collection and storage of waste from solar modules and cells. These guidelines encompass rejects and waste produced during manufacturing, refurbishment, and repair activities. They also include solar modules that sustained damage during transportation, handling, storage, and installation.