Overview

JCEC Queensland’s November site visit takes members inside the Brisbane-area facility of Pan Pacific Recycling, an Australian innovator turning end-of-life solar panels and batteries into valuable materials, and now developing AI-driven robotics for second-life battery systems.

A pioneer in renewable-energy waste management, Pan Pacific Recycling unveiled a world-first production line in 2024 that recovers up to 99% of the materials in decommissioned solar panels, including silver, copper, silicon and glass. The company has worked with the Smart Energy Council and the Queensland Government to establish the state’s first coordinated solar stewardship program, and has hosted government delegations on site to showcase critical-mineral recovery.

Its Queensland facility combines technology development with full-scale plant operation, converting waste feedstock into saleable products and supporting Australia’s move to reduce landfill and build a circular economy.

The visit will include:

• Introduction to Pan Pacific Recycling and its solar panel and battery recycling technologies
• Guided tour of the processing plant and its equipment
• Display of feedstocks and recovered products
• Launch of the CRC project “AI-Driven Robotics for Scalable Second-Life Battery Systems”.

Tour facilitators

• John Hill, Director and Co-founder, Pan Pacific Recycling
• Dr Hong Peng, Event Coordinator, The University of Queensland

PPE requirement

• Enclosed shoes

Time

12:00–14:00 AEST.