Swiss Solar Furnaces to Recycle Watchmakers’ Metal Waste

A Swiss company inaugurated two solar furnaces on Friday in a watchmaking hub, designed to melt down and recycle steel offcuts from the local industry using green energy.

The Jura mountains, forming Switzerland’s north-western border with France, are home to numerous watchmaking firms and medical instrument manufacturers that rely on high-quality steel.

The project aims to convert production waste into ingots using concentrated solar rays, which will then be recirculated to companies in the border region through a short, local supply chain.

Project Details

Raphael Broye, Panatere’s chief executive, said: “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for 10 years.”

La Chaux-de-Fonds, the cradle of Swiss watchmaking, will serve as the testing ground before Panatere opens a factory in 2028, either at the same site or in the Wallis mountains in southwestern Switzerland.

The company intends to demonstrate that solar technology can be applied in industry on a large scale, producing up to 1,000 tonnes of recycled steel per year.

Solar Furnace Technology

• The first prototype was developed by 148 scientists and professionals.
• It features a 140-square-metre heliostat covered with movable mirrors and a 10-metre diameter dish that focuses sunlight onto a crucible, melting the metal.
• Engineers overcame challenges including wind affecting mirrors, Saharan dust reaching Swiss skies, and extreme seasonal temperatures ranging from -20°C in winter to over 30°C in summer.

Broye emphasised: “Nowadays, there is a real economic model to develop. With the price levels and scarcity of metals, we are able to find a position to make these projects profitable… even with Swiss wages.”

Economic and Industrial Impact

• The project seeks to restore prestige to short supply chains, as rising metal prices make production waste a valuable resource.
• Broye illustrated this by handling copper shavings, noting that skyrocketing prices make recycling economically attractive.
• He added:
  “High prices are leading watchmakers and manufacturers to realise that with their production waste, they have a treasure trove round the back of their factories.”

The inaugurated site represents just the first step in Panatere’s plan to scale solar-powered steel recycling into a fully industrial process.