More solar panel recycling capacity for Greece

Katheris S.A. has completed the first solar panel recycling line on the Greek islands. The shredding solution is now running in Heraklion, Crete.

Greece is facing a growing volume of photovoltaic (PV) waste. Building solar panel recycling capacity is a must, according to Katheris S.A., which is headquartered on Crete. The popular Greek island is home to around 625 000 people relying for 25% on solar energy.

While solar power is still catching up to European leaders, such as the Netherlands and Germany, Greece has been ramping up its energy capacity in recent years. At the end of 2024, the country’s total installed capacity was at 9.6 GW – double the capacity compared to 2022.

Sorting PV scrap

The new recycling system centres on a shredding and sorting process that carefully separates materials such as glass, aluminium, silver, crystalline silicon and copper.

‘Our aim is to initiate the public into the mentality of recycling, to sensitise our fellow citizens and to make recycling and the protection of the environment a way of life,’ the recycler says.

Katheris has been operating since 1979 and specialises in metal recycling, also offering car recycling services. It also operates branch offices in the Heraklion Industrial Area, Vlichia, and Rethymno.