India’s Solar Waste & Recycling Market

Why in news?

India is projected to generate about 11 million tonnes of solar waste by 2047, as per the study by a Delhi-based think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).

• CEEW study – Provide India's 1^st comprehensive blueprint for building a domestic solar recycling ecosystem that supports both clean energy and manufacturing self-reliance.

Findings of the study

• Projected Solar Waste – About 11 million tonnes, mostly from crystalline-silicon solar modules by 2047.
• Reason – Rapid solar capacity expansion under India’s renewable energy targets.
• Infrastructure & Investment Needs – Managing the waste would require nearly 300 recycling plants across the country with an estimated investment of around Rs. 4,200 crore.
• Market Opportunity – Recovering & reusing materials from discarded solar panels could create a Rs. 3,700-crore market opportunity by 2047.
• Materials recovery potential – Silicon, copper, aluminium, silver recovered from solar waste could meet 38% of the sector’s manufacturing inputs in 2047 & avoid 37 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions by replacing virgin materials.

• Economic Opportunity – By recycling solar waste, recover valuable minerals, boost supply chains, and create jobs and supports India’s sustainable and strong development.
• Main expenses – Buying back waste modules - about Rs. 600 per panel (nearly 2/3^rd of the total cost), followed by processing, collection and disposal costs.
• Recommendations – To make recycling profitable
  • Panels should be priced below Rs. 330,
  • Recyclers support through EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) certificate trading for collection and recovery under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022,
  • tax incentives
  • R&D for better recovery of silicon and silver.
  • Innovation - designing panels for easier material recovery & improving material purity
  • Creating new value chains around critical minerals
  • Circular Solar Taskforce - to align policy, finance and industry action.
  • Centralized Solar Inventory - to track where solar waste is building up.

References

1. The Hindu | India’s Solar waste projection
2. CEEW | India’s solar boom create a Rs. 3,700 Crore market in 2047