The Government of India is taking multiple steps to strengthen domestic recycling capacity and promote circular economy practices in the solar energy sector, as the country’s solar installations continue to grow rapidly. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) estimate that India will produce approximately 600 kilo-tonnes of waste from current and future solar capacity installations by the year 2030. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) established the E-Waste (Management) Rules 2022 to tackle the new environmental issue, which requires safe recycling of electronic waste generated by solar power systems. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has established an online Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) portal to facilitate the proper collection, storage, and disposal of solar panel waste. The government has established multiple programs that aim to create recycling systems and establish circular economy systems. Committees have been established to develop action plans that will enable 11 selected sectors, including solar panels, to shift from their current linear systems to circular systems. The MNRE has introduced an Innovation Challenge for Circularity in Renewable Energy Technologies, which funds research on recycling technologies and second-life applications and sustainable design for solar modules and batteries. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has opened a request for proposals that aim to create economically feasible recycling methods through partnerships between academic institutions and industrial organizations. The Ministry of Mines established a recycling incentive program under the National Critical Mineral Mission, with a budget of Rs. 1,500 crore (US$ 162.3 million) to extract essential minerals from electronic waste and other discarded materials used in renewable energy production. Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.https://www.ibef.org/news/government-takes-steps-to-promote-domestic-recycling-capacity-and-circular-economy-in-solar-sector (ICE MUMBAI)

Fonte notizia: IBEF