Solar Materials expanding in Saxony-Anhalt
With the commissioning of its first industrial recycling line, Magdeburg-based cleantech start-up Solar Materials is sending a strong signal for sustainable innovation from Saxony-Anhalt.
The new plant at the Magdeburg site was officially opened today in the presence of State Secretary for Economic Affairs Stefanie Pötzsch. The fully automated line will enable the recycling of up to 10,000 tons of solar modules per year in the future – the equivalent of around half a million modules.
The fact that Solar Materials continues to rely on Saxony-Anhalt in its current expansion course is a strong signal for our state
said State Secretary Stefanie Pötzsch at the opening ceremony.
That shows: We are a location that offers opportunities and creates prospects. Just three years after its foundation, Solar Materials is already regarded as a technological pioneer in this field. Together with our companies, we are driving innovation forward.
Founded in 2021, the company is mainly financed by the venture capital funds of IBG Beteiligungsgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH, which are managed by bmp Ventures AG, and venture capital investors such as First Imagine! and Katapult. In addition, the start-up was able to raise more than 6.5 million euros in funding, for example from the EIC Accelerator, with which the EU supports ground-breaking technologies and innovations from start-ups and SMEs that have the potential to become international market leaders. The company has been supported by the state-owned Investitions- und Marketinggesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH (IMG) from the very beginning.
Solar Materials’ patented process enables the complete recovery of all components of disused PV modules – including valuable raw materials such as silver and silicon. Compared to primary production, the energy requirement can be reduced by up to 80 percent and the CO2 footprint significantly reduced. The company’s aim is to transform the solar industry into a circular economy. With the new industrial plant, Solar Materials is evolving from a research team into a manufacturing technology company. The process sets standards in solar module recycling and is now regarded as a global technology leader.
Further information is available at: www.solar-materials.de
Text/Photo: Ministry of Economy, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry on April 25, 2025
