India’s solar waste to fill 720 Olympic-sized pools by 2030
new study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) estimates that between the financial years 2024 and 2030, solar capacity can generate 600 kilotonnes of waste — the equivalent of 720 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu will produce most of that waste, it says.
India is projected to produce nearly 292 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity by 2030.
The waste products — photovoltaic (PV) materials — generated from this growth contain minerals such as cadmium, tellurium, silicon, and silver, which are critical to India.
from only four GW in March 2015 to 73 GW in December 2023, robust recycling mechanisms become increasingly crucial,” said CEEW CEO Arunabha Ghosh in a statement.
India’s solar power capacity as of financial year 2023 was 66.7 GW, which has generated 100 kilotonne of waste so far. According to projections, the waste would build up to 600 kilotonne by 2030, and after that, it would grow by nearly 32 times to 19,000 kilotonne by 2050.
the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also noted that solar PV recycling is a priority area for the development of renewables.
mines ministry has classified PV materials such as silicon, copper, tellurium, and cadmium as critical, with India relying on imports to meet its requirements. Recycling solar waste will reduce import dependency and improve mineral security, the CEEW report says.
The existing solar infrastructure has a minimum lifespan of 25 years. However, many pieces of equipment become waste due to damage during handling, operations, or transportation. The report recommended the Indian solar industry address such logistical problems.
