Spain Launches €100 Million RENOCICLA Program to Boost Renewable Energy Equipment Recycling

Image: MITECO

Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has launched a €100 million initiative named RENOCICLA, aimed at promoting the reuse and recycling of materials from renewable energy projects, including solar panels, lithium batteries, and wind turbine blades. The program is funded under the EU's Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRTR) and the NextGenerationEU framework.

According to MITECO, the fund will be allocated as follows:

€30 million for the recycling and repurposing of photovoltaic panels;

€30 million for lithium and lithium-ion battery recovery;

€20 million for wind turbine blade recycling;

The remaining €20 million will support eco-design innovations in renewable energy technologies—such as projects aiming to extend equipment lifespan, increase reusability and recyclability, and enhance the use of secondary raw materials during manufacturing.

Eligible proposals include industrial research, experimental development, and feasibility studies. Projects will be evaluated based on criteria such as technical robustness, economic viability, and minimum reuse/recycling rates—ranging from 65% to 85% by weight, depending on the technology. The application window will be open from July 8 to September 16, 2025.

RENOCICLA was announced just days after Spain approved nearly €300 million in grants for renewable energy manufacturing. Notably, Sunwafe, a Spanish solar startup, secured almost €200 million to build a silicon wafer plant with an annual capacity target of 20 GW by 2030. Other beneficiaries include Dutch solar cell manufacturer MCPV and Spanish module producer Escelco, reinforcing Spain’s strategic push to build a closed-loop renewable energy industry spanning manufacturing, usage, and recycling.