Silver Prices Set to Skyrocket as SOLARCYCLE Secures $344 Million Plant Investment Amidst Declining Ore Grades
Department of Energy admits that Silver is worth twice the current price by backing a process that brings silver to market over double the current price.
first primary source plus dozens others
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326646043_Are_the_World-Leading_Primary_Silver_Mines_Exhausting
The challenge of recovering silver from solar panels is multifaceted, primarily due to the high costs associated with recycling compared to mining. Solar panels typically contain about 0.643 ounces (approximately 20 grams) but some of the newer panels have almost double that amount approaching 40 grams of silver each, which is crucial for their efficiency due to silver's unparalleled electrical conductivity.
While silver can be mined for under $25 per ounce, the costs associated with recycling processes, even those utilizing advanced technologies like the one patented by SOLARCYCLE, can be significantly higher.
SOLARCYCLE's patented method aims for high recovery rates but more is to be made of what is being NOT SAID than what is being said. We will get into this in the second segment below the page break.
Here is the chief problem
no one can predict the actual cost per ounce for recycling silver using this technology. It remains unclear but is expected to be about double the price of mining due to the complexities involved in separating silver from other materials within the panels.
The process often requires sophisticated chemical treatments and can involve significant labor and operational costs.
Moreover, as solar panel installations increase globally, the demand for silver is projected to rise sharply, leading 100% to a silver supply crunch.
This situation underscores the importance of developing efficient recycling methods that can compete economically with traditional mining while addressing environmental concerns related to solar panel waste
Thus, while SOLARCYCLE's innovations are promising, scaling these solutions to meet growing demands at competitive prices presents a significant challenge.
SOLARCYCLE is a technology-driven company founded in 2022 by Suvi Sharma, Pablo Ribeiro Dias, and Jesse Simons to maximize solar sustainability through recycling retiring solar panels.
The company has received significant funding and recognition for its innovative approach to solar panel recycling.
Department of Energy Grants
In April 2023, SOLARCYCLE was awarded a $1.5 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to study the process of recovering higher-quality metals and materials from retired solar panels.
The company received more than $64 million in Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credits (48C) from the U.S. Department of Energy in April 2024 for their upcoming $344 million solar glass plant in Cedartown, Georgia.
Patents and Technology
SOLARCYCLE has developed patented technology that they say can cost-effectively return between 75% to 95% of the valuable materials in a solar panel to the solar supply chain.
Their proprietary technology allows them to extract up between 75% and 95% of a solar panel's materials, including silver, silicon, copper, and aluminum
Silver Shortage and DOE Engagement
The Department of Energy's engagement with SOLARCYCLE acknowledges the growing demand for silver in the solar industry. Now the Department of Energy is acknowledging a rising demand for silver due to solar technology:
Global silver demand has increased by 58% since 2020, partly due to its use in solar panels.
Changes in solar power technology are accelerating demand for silver, widening the existing supply deficit
Pablo Ribeiro Dias' Contributions
Dr. Pablo Dias serves as the Chief Technology Officer at SOLARCYCLE and is the lead researcher on the DOE-funded project.
Additional Information
SOLARCYCLE's first advanced-technology solar recycling facility is located in Odessa, Texas.
The company has partnerships with major U.S. solar companies, including Sunrun, Silicon Ranch, DEPCOM Power, SOLV Energy, NovaSource, Greentech Renewables, and Forum Energy Partners.
SOLARCYCLE's upcoming solar glass plant in Georgia will be the first-of-its-kind, creating some of the cleanest solar glass in the world by using recycled glass from retired solar systems
A perfect storm is brewing in the silver market, driven by several converging factors. BRICS nations, particularly China, Russia, and India, are aggressively accumulating silver, seeking to bolster their economic independence from Western markets. This surge in demand coincides with Mexico, the world's leading silver producer, potentially moving towards nationalization of its mining sector, which could severely limit global supply.
China's strategy includes purchasing silver directly from mines in Chile, Argentina, Mexico, and Peru, often bypassing traditional markets like Comex and paying above spot prices. This tactic not only secures immediate resources but also crowds out Western buyers, raising concerns about future availability. Compounding these issues is the alarming decline in silver ore grades; recent reports indicate that grades have plummeted from 40 ounces per ton to less than 2 ounces per ton.
Additionally, open-pit mining faces increasing scrutiny and opposition, further complicating extraction efforts. Although solar energy is a significant consumer of silver, military and aerospace sectors remain the top industrial users. The push to reestablish silver as a monetary metal could trigger a massive bull run, especially as the West loses its grip on price manipulation—setting the stage for unprecedented volatility in the silver market over the next two decades.
The 3 miners Jon Little picks today all have Silver production costs 80% less than where DOE sees the price going soon
Invest Accordingly
I handpicked 3 silver miners who have a combined All in Sustaining Cost of Mining silver averaging less than $11.00 per ounce while some of their competitors are north of $25 dollars per ounce to mine that same ounce.
This means my list of 3 picks are twice as profitable than their peers and 80% less than where DOE sees the next price point.
I only endorse an elite group of miners and have had to turn down projects in Mexico (this is a temporary hold but it keeps being extended)
My endorsement is based on the following:
Ore grade
Volume of ounces underground
Metallurgy
Jurisdiction
Management Talent
Their Balance sheet
This is why I love these top 3 picks (None in Mexico)
1. Andean Precious Metals | OTCMKTS: ANPMF
Andean Precious Metals, through its subsidiary Manquiri, operates the San Bartolomé plant near Cerro Rico, collaborating with artisanal miners to formalize their operations
This partnership has proven effective over years of consistency, processing ore from approximately 4,800 individual miners.
The Potosí region, including Cerro Rico, is historically prolific, having produced an estimated 60,000 to 90,000 tonnes of silver since its discovery in 1545.
2. Aya Gold & Silver, Morocco | OTCMKTS: AYASF
The Zgounder silver mine is a world-class deposit with exceptional silver grades, boasting Measured and Indicated mineral resources of 9,765,000 tonnes at 306 g/t Ag for 96,057,000 ounces of silver.
Located in Morocco's Anti-Atlas mountains, Zgounder is the country's second most important silver mine and is currently undergoing a significant expansion that will quadruple its production to 6.8 million ounces of silver annually at an impressively low all-in sustaining cost of $9.58 per ounce.
The deposit's unique geological characteristics, including its Neoproterozoic epithermal hypogene system and similarities to the giant Imiter silver deposit, make it a highly promising and economically attractive silver project with substantial long-term potential
3. KUYA Silver | OTCMKTS: KUYAF
They are Producing already! Mine started production a few months ago, and they have already sold their first truckloads of concentrate for a steady revenue stream. Yet, the market still has not woken up.
The company is valued like a junior explorer that will never go into production.
KUYA has Skin in the game. David Stein, the CEO, has personally funded the company for many years ($2 MM+) and still retains a significant 10% ownership. This demonstrates our management's full alignment with shareholders, all working towards increasing the stock price.
This mine is a true silver mine, with the vast majority (~75%) of their production coming from silver. This provides silver investors with the best exposure to potential increases in silver prices, making our company an exciting prospect for growth.
Most “silver” miners derive most of their revenue or resource value from gold or zinc.
The Bethania project, with its fantastic economics, boasts some of the lowest All-In Sustaining Costs (AISC) in the world. Once the initial stage is ramped up in mid 2025, margins should be over 60%+ at current silver prices, making it a highly lucrative investment opportunity.
Expansion capital is modest so that the mine can grow through internal cash flow.
It is also important to remind Silver Academy readers that as a shareholder, you get another 100% owned high-grade silver project called SilverKings, which is still in the development phase but shows astounding promise with its high-grade silver reserves and potential for significant future revenue.
end of section
some disclaimers
editorial department is separate from sponsorship department
opinions on this page are not the opinions of sponsors
not financial advice