India may generate 600,000 tonnes of solar panel waste by 2030

India could accumulate approximately 600,000 tonnes of waste from solar photovoltaic panels by 2030, according to estimates by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), prepared with support from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

The figure was disclosed by Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Naik in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha last week, alongside details of government steps to build domestic recycling capacity.

Solar panels are covered under India’s E-Waste Management Rules 2022, and an Extended Producer Responsibility portal for e-waste has been made operational by the Central Pollution Control Board.

The government has initiated several programmes to address the looming waste challenge. The Ministry of Mines launched a recycling incentive scheme with an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore under the National Critical Mineral Mission, targeting the recovery of critical minerals from e-waste, lithium-ion battery waste, and end-of-life vehicle components. The Department of Science and Technology issued a call for proposals on recovering and recycling end-of-life solar panels, focused on developing economically viable processes through academia-industry partnerships.

MNRE also launched an innovation challenge for circularity in renewable energy technologies, covering second-life applications and circular design for solar modules and batteries.

India’s solar capacity crossed 143 GW, up from 2.8 GW a decade ago. The pace of installation means end-of-life panels will begin accumulating in significant volumes within this decade, making recycling infrastructure a practical near-term requirement rather than a future concern.

The featured photograph is for representation only.