Comstock Metals Selects Ohio for New Solar Panel Recycling Facility

According to company reports, Comstock Metals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Comstock Inc., has selected Cambridge, Ohio, as the site of a new industrial-scale solar panel recycling and production facility, expanding its U.S. recycling network to serve customers across the Midwest and eastern United States. The project, developed in collaboration with JobsOhio and Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE), is expected to create 20 full-time jobs and establish a regional logistics hub for end-of-life solar panels.

Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Silver Springs, Nevada, Comstock Metals specializes in recycling decommissioned solar panels through a zero-landfill process that recovers aluminum, copper, silver and glass for reuse. The company currently operates a recycling facility in Nevada, where it is scaling annual processing capacity to 100,000 tons of solar panels. The new Ohio facility will extend that footprint and produce recovered aluminum, silver and glass bead products for industrial customers in the Midwest.

The expansion is intended to strengthen Comstock Metals’ national collection and recycling network while reducing transportation costs for customers in the eastern half of the country. According to the company, long-distance transportation can account for 30% to 50% of total solar panel recycling costs. The Cambridge operation will be based in a 21,570-square-foot facility with an adjacent storage yard, providing regional logistics, storage and material processing capabilities.

The project also received a $75,000 grant from JobsOhio to support business expansion, economic development and job creation. OhioSE assisted the company in securing the financial support and establishing its operations in the state.

“Our new Cambridge facility in Ohio is an integral part of our growing national capacity for logistics, storage and recycling of end-of-life solar materials that are being decommissioned across the country,” said Corrado De Gasperis, Chief Executive Officer of Comstock Inc. “The speed that we build these human systems and deploy our recycling network is critical to keeping these hazardous materials out of our landfills, communities and ecosystems.”

Dr. Fortunato Villamagna, President of Comstock Metals, said the central Ohio location offers a cost-effective logistics solution for the company’s expanding customer base in the Midwest and Northeast. He added that the company has established relationships with solar power producers, operations and maintenance providers, and manufacturers across the eastern United States, supporting its goal of expanding domestic solar panel recycling capacity.

Demand for solar panel recycling is expected to increase as early generations of photovoltaic installations approach the end of their service life. The expansion of regional recycling infrastructure is becoming an important part of recovering valuable materials while reducing landfill disposal and transportation-related costs across the solar supply chain.

Source: Comstock Metals

SUNSHINE Spotlight: Comstock Metals’ Ohio investment reflects growing demand for regional solar panel recycling infrastructure as the volume of end-of-life photovoltaic modules continues to rise across the United States.