New Delhi: India’s solar waste could reach a staggering 600 kilotonnes by 2030 — equivalent to filling up 720 Olympic-size swimming pools — according to a new study released on Wednesday.

The study by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and independent think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said around 67 per cent of this waste will come from five states: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

India’s current installed 66.7 GW capacity (as of FY23) has already generated about 100 kilotonnes of waste, which will increase to 340 kilotonnes by 2030. This will include about 10 kilotonnes of silicon, 12-18 tonnes of silver, and 16 tonnes of cadmium and tellurium — the majority of which are critical minerals for India, the study titled “Enabling a Circular Economy in India’s Solar Industry: Assessing the Solar Waste Quantum” said.

Reader correspondent