Attero & NISE Partner for Solar Panel Recycling in India

New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) E-waste recycler Attero has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Institute of Solar Energy for recycling solar panel waste in India, the company said on Wednesday.

Under the MoU, NISE will provide support, its knowledge of the current solar installation and scenario to Attero in its pursuit of research and development in the area of solar panel recycling.

"As India continues to expand its renewable energy capacity, there is a growing need to address the environmental impact of end-of-life solar panels. With NISE's strong understanding of the solar ecosystem and Attero's proven recycling technology, this partnership can lay the groundwork for a global approach to solar panel recycling," Attero, CEO and Co-founder, Nitin Gupta said.

Projections indicate that India's cumulative solar photovoltaic (PV) waste could reach approximately 600 kilotons by 2030 and escalate to about 19,000 kilotons by 2050, the statement said.

Solar panels typically have a life cycle of 20 to 25 years, and a significant volume is expected to reach end-of-life over the next decade, the statement said.

Under the pact, a pilot project will also be conducted to test the solar panel recycling technology developed by Attero and the technology developed by NISE using end-of-life panels provided by the institute.

Both organizations will also explore establishing a dedicated test and research facility at the NISE campus to support recycling lithium-ion batteries and solar panels. The partnership also aims to generate jointly authored technical reports and recommendations to guide the creation of effective recycling standards and frameworks for the sector in India and globally, the statement said.