Finalist of the EPHJ 2021 Exhibitors’ Grand Prize, Panatere continues to move forward by producing 100% recycled and recyclable titanium and by announcing the launch of its nomadic solar oven in 2022.
Collecting waste from the production of medical and watch components to give it a second life is
now an everyday reality for PANATERE. The Jura-based SME was recently recognised at the Luxury
Innovation Summit in Geneva for its pioneering commitment to the responsible production of
solar materials. Constantly pushing itself to its limits, PANATERE is now offering production of
100% recycled and recyclable titanium, all while working on the next industrial revolution: a
mobile solar furnace, set to arrive in 2022.
Since 2017, PANATERE, a Jura-based company specialising in the transformation of raw materials, has been disrupting the traditional production processes for 4441 stainless steel (the Rolls-Royce of steel) and biocomponents (such as fennel, grapes and apples) to turn them into something ‘valuable’. It is not only the material itself that is non-polluting, but also and above all, the way in which it is sorted, transformed and reused. Put simply, these processes represent a virtuous approach, with almost zero carbon emissions.
The systematic process used for the latest production of 100% recycled and recyclable titanium (Grade 5)
substantiates the original process developed five years earlier with steel. This time, the aim once again is to produce semi-industrial quantities in the medium and longer term and achieve a type of production which incorporates closed loops, short supply chains and the Swiss circular economy. Secondly, and as with the steel, the next industrial revolution proposed by the Swiss SME will involve offering solar titanium by way of a mobile solar furnace, which will be available in Watch Valley in 2022.
Raphaël Broye, founder of PANATERE, recalls the steps of the company’s 100% recycled steel scenario, which was an integral part of its pioneering commitment to the responsible transformation of materials without “missionwashing”. The company collects and recycles steel scrap – waste or swarf – resulting from the production of watch components. The first step of the solution involves selective sorting and separating of different grades of steel into compartments.
To date, the company has produced 200 kg of the 100% recycled and recyclable titanium now available.
Titanium is lighter than steel and has a melting point of 1668 °C, as opposed to 1445 °C, the melting point of steel. As it is difficult to work, prices for this material can potentially triple for the current recycled version (from 25 CHF/kg for steel to 85 CHF/kg for recycled titanium).
The mobile solar furnace, the size of two articulated lorries, will finally enable PANATERE to melt down 200 tons of solar steel castings and offer prices which match those of standard materials.
The solutions proposed by PANATERE today are sustainable and long-lasting. The fully recycled and recyclable steel scenario reduces the carbon footprint by a factor of 165, compared to a standard scenario 2.
This regional industrial solar furnace, the first of its kind, will be a public commodity, available to other industries to safeguard the future of their business,as well as promote clean energy and the local economy . PANATERE is also pleased to announce the construction of a solar metal processing centre for a cleaner future.