Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI:Clean technology firm Attero has signed an MoU with the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), a body under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), to develop scalable recycling solutions for solar panels in India.
The partnership aims to tackle the growing challenge of solar panel waste. Attero, India’s biggest lithium-ion battery recycler, will work with NISE to advance R&D efforts, run pilot projects, and help shape national recycling standards.
As part of the deal, NISE will provide industry insights and solar panel waste for pilot testing. Both parties will test recycling technologies developed in-house, and explore setting up a dedicated testing and R&D facility on NISE’s campus focused on both solar panel and lithium-ion battery recycling.
They also plan to co-author technical reports and policy recommendations to support the creation of a recycling framework in India and potentially abroad.
“Attero’s proven recycling technology combined with NISE’s deep understanding of the solar sector gives us the right foundation to tackle the upcoming wave of solar waste,” said Nitin Gupta, CEO and Co-founder of Attero. “We’re focused on building green, scalable, and scientific recycling systems that recover critical materials and keep them in use.”
Dr Mohammad Rihan, Director General of NISE, added, “As India leads in solar energy deployment, it’s critical that we address the lifecycle of solar panels. Partnering with Attero helps us advance in that direction with the right expertise.”
India’s solar capacity hit 100.33 GW by January 2025, making up nearly half of the country’s total renewable energy mix. With initiatives like the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana pushing rooftop solar, panel adoption is set to accelerate.
But growth comes with consequences. Solar panels typically last 20–25 years, and waste volumes are projected to hit 600 kilotons by 2030 and soar to 19,000 kilotons by 2050.
Attero, the only company globally earning carbon credits for recycling e-waste and lithium-ion waste, says building proper infrastructure now is key to avoiding a future waste crisis.
