India: The hidden cost of Tamil Nadu's solar boom

DW (English)

The growing solar waste reveals inability to deal with its disposal, environmental fallout and a world of informal recycling operators risking it all. Can sustainability truly be sustainable?

Transcript

00:00India is on a sprint toward clean energy to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.

00:07But there's a hidden cost to this – piling mounds of solar waste.

00:12The country is the world's third-largest energy consumer, relying heavily on coal.

00:17But did you know India has installed 84.28 gigawatt of solar capacity?

00:23This means the current installed capacity could theoretically power over 63 million homes annually,

00:30enough to supply electricity to almost 25% of the households in India for an entire year.

00:37An ignored side effect of this is the increasing amount of solar waste

00:42generated during their production, transportation and installation.

00:53J.P. Solar isn't the only company struggling to manage their waste.

01:14A study by the Council of Energy, Environment and Water shows

01:18India has already generated 100,000 tonnes of solar waste with an expected 600,000 tonnes by 2030.

01:26That's about 1.2 times the weight of the Burj Khalifa.

01:31Many solar manufacturers are finding it difficult to manage the disposal.

01:48Experts warn that rising solar waste could hinder India's sustainability goals

02:01if disposal and recycling aren't effectively managed.

02:18When we throw away a waste, what happens to it?

02:28No one is considering the life cycle impact of the waste.

02:39Solar panels contain a lot of toxic materials such as cadmium and chromium.

02:46These heavy metals can cause serious health and environmental problems.

02:55India's e-waste management rules require solar panel manufacturers to handle waste disposal and recycling,

03:02including collection, storage and dismantling.

03:06However, with regulations still evolving and no formal recycling facilities in place,

03:12an informal network of waste collectors and scrap dealers has stepped in,

03:17taking on this risky task to earn a livelihood.

03:22The number of solar disposals is increasing.

03:31Before, it was very expensive.

03:35Now, the number of solar disposals is increasing.

03:41Next week, there will be a big tender for the disposal of 3,600 solar panels.

03:52I am currently collecting solar scraps.

03:56I collect old solar panels, solar boards and other batteries.

04:05I buy solar panels and collect them.

04:09This is a big company.

04:13Tamil Nadu is a leader in solar power and is the fourth largest producer in India.

04:18But it is responsible for a large share of this waste.

04:22Several government officials, including personnel at Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation,

04:28refuse to comment on this problem.

04:31But why is it hard to dispose of solar waste?

04:34It's because solar panels contain a complex mix of materials, many of which are harmful.

04:40Breaking them down for recycling is hard.

04:43So more waste does not necessarily mean better income for small waste collectors.

04:49New product of the panels are very high.

04:54Scrap mill time is very low.

04:56Nearby, we are different, more than 80-85%.

05:01So how can this problem be tackled then?

05:05No matter what technology you replace,

05:08as demand increases year on year,

05:11the technology that can be substituted for it is definitely a carbon footprint,

05:16a water footprint, an environment footprint.

05:19No matter what technology you replace, it will be a waste.

05:24So in designing solar panels,

05:27keep recycling, refurbishing, reuse in mind.

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