World's First Solar Steel Recycling Furnaces Inaugurated in Switzerland

Pioneering Sustainable Steel Production

In a significant stride towards industrial sustainability, the Jura-based company Panatere officially inaugurated the world's first two solar furnaces for steel recycling on Friday, October 3, 2025, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. This pioneering initiative marks a new era for the circular economy, enabling the production of fully recycled steel with a virtually zero carbon footprint.

Raphaël Broye, CEO of Panatere, expressed the company's long-held ambition, stating, 'I've been dreaming of this moment for 10 years.' He further emphasized the local impact, noting, 'There is a real interest in recycling our valuable resources. We want to keep the metal waste from the factories and recycle it locally.'

Innovative Solar Technology

The newly unveiled furnaces utilize advanced concentrated solar power technology. Each system employs 500 concave mirrors and a heliostat to precisely focus the sun's rays, generating temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees Celsius. This intense heat allows metals to be melted down in just 1.5 hours, a process that is entirely free of CO2 emissions.

Developed in partnership with the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the technology and its alloy sorting process are protected by two patents. This innovation offers a sustainable alternative to traditional steel production, which is highly energy-intensive. Recycling steel using this method is significantly more energy-efficient, reducing the carbon footprint compared to producing new steel from raw materials.

Boosting Local Circular Economy

Panatere, an SME based in Saignelégier, canton Jura, specializes in the processing and recycling of metallic raw materials. The primary goal of these solar furnaces is to recycle steel offcuts from Switzerland's prominent watchmaking industry and waste from the medical sector. Switzerland currently imports approximately 140,000 tonnes of stainless steel annually, with 15,800 tonnes used by the watchmaking industry and 6,500 tonnes by the medical sector.

The company aims to recover 5% of the metals produced in Switzerland that would otherwise be exported. By 2028, the La Chaux-de-Fonds facility is projected to produce 1,000 tonnes of solar steel per year, contributing to local job creation and a more resilient supply chain. The first solar steel bar produced by this method will be showcased at the International Watch Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Broad Institutional Support

The ambitious project has garnered significant support from various institutional partners. These include the Federal Office for the Environment, the cantons of Neuchâtel, Jura, and Bern, SIG (Services Industriels de Genève), the Swiss Climate Foundation, and Energy Lab. This collaborative effort underscores a national commitment to fostering sustainable industrial practices and advancing the circular economy within Switzerland. The inauguration of these furnaces is considered a foundational step towards the future development of a larger solar center for processing strategic metals.