Solar waste in India: India is increasing its renewable energy capacity to achieve net-zero target. Recently Modi government has implemented Pradhan Mantri Sarvodaya Yojana. Under this scheme, one crore roof top solar panels will be installed across the country and electricity will be produced. The government says that the poor and middle class will benefit from this and their electricity bills will be reduced.
However, recently the Council on Energy, Environment and Water’s study ‘Enabling a Circular Economy in India’s Solar Industry: Assessing the Solar Waste Quantum’ has revealed some very surprising things. According to this study, the solar waste generated from existing and new solar energy capacity (capacity installed between financial year 2023-24 and financial year 2029-30) can reach 600 kilotonnes by 2030. This would be equivalent to filling 720 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
These five states will generate the most garbage
According to this study by CEEW, most of this solar waste will come from five states, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Solar waste generated from India’s current solar energy capacity will increase to 340 kilotonnes by 2030. It contains about 10 kilotons of silicon, 12-18 tons of silver and 16 tons of cadmium and tellurium which are important minerals for India. The remaining 260 kilotonnes of solar waste will come from new solar power capacity to be installed in this decade. This is a good opportunity for India to emerge as a leading center of circular economy in the solar sector and ensure flexibility in the solar supply chain.
India has made this plan..
India plans to achieve approximately 292 GW of solar capacity by 2030, so management of solar PV waste will become important for environmental, economic and social reasons. This CEEW study, for the first time, has assessed solar waste generated from all sectors except manufacturing, which is vital information for formulating solar waste management policies.
Let us tell you that India is already implementing many measures to deal with solar waste. Last year, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had issued E-Waste (Management) Rules-2022 for the management of solar PV cells and module waste. These rules impose responsibility on producers of solar PV cells and modules to manage their solar waste under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework.
What did the expert say..
Dr. Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW said, “India needs to proactively address solar waste, not only as an environmental imperative but also as a strategic need to ensure energy security and develop a circular economy. Steps should be taken. As we see significant growth in solar power capacity from just 4 GW in March 2015 to 73 GW in December 2023, strong recycling systems have become increasingly important. This makes the renewable energy ecosystem safe. Creates green jobs. Enhances mineral security and innovation, and creates resilient and circular supply chains.’
Neeraj Kuldeep, Senior Program Lead, CEEW said, ‘India’s G20 Presidency had identified a circular economy as a key area for sustainable development. A circular solar sector and responsible waste management will maximize resource efficiency and add resilience to domestic supply chains. “This CEEW study provides strong evidence of the opportunity that exists in solar waste management, but solar recycling technology and the industry are still in their early stages and need policy incentives and support.”
Even though the design life of solar modules is currently 25 years, some modules get damaged earlier due to reasons like transportation, maintenance of modules and damage during operation of projects. This CEEW study suggests that the Indian solar power industry should prepare for these new responsibilities by setting up reverse logistics, storage, disassembly centers and recycling facilities. The industry should also explore innovative financing mechanisms and business models for solar waste management. Further, to gather accurate information of potential solar waste generating centers and to strategically set up waste management infrastructure, the installed solar power capacity (with details like technology of modules, manufacturer and date of operation) over a certain period of time. The database to be updated must be available.
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Tags: energy minister, solar system
FIRST PUBLISHED: March 20, 2024, 22:14 IST