China to scale up wind and solar recycling to tackle environmental impact of decommissioned hardware

China will introduce technical standards and policies for the wind and solar industries to recycle their decommissioned equipment by 2030

China is set to retire about 250GW of solar panels and 280GW of wind turbines by 2040, according to Greenpeace

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China, the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, has ramped up its solar and wind manufacturing capabilities to support its 2060 net-zero emission goal. Photo: Reuters

Published: 4:30pm, 17 Aug 2023Updated: 5:36pm, 17 Aug 2023

China, the world’s largest renewable energy producer, will set up a recycling system for ageing solar panels and wind turbines in an effort to tackle millions of tonnes of equipment slated for retirement in the coming years, according to the state planner.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and five other state agencies on Thursday jointly released guidelines that seek to accelerate the recycling of old wind and solar equipment.

China’s new energy sector, which covers wind, solar, battery and other emerging energy technologies, will face a problem of “mass decommissioning of equipment” as industry upgrades accelerate, the state agencies said.

A set of technical standards and policies will be introduced for the wind and solar industries to recycle their decommissioned equipment and form dedicated industry clusters across the nation by 2030.

A 16-megawatt wind turbine is installed off the coast of southeast China’s Fujian province. Photo: Xinhua

Wind and solar manufacturers should design equipment that is lightweight and easy to disassemble and recycle, according to the NDRC’s guidelines. Renewable energy generators will also be responsible for decommissioning end-of-life equipment and will not be allowed to discard or bury the waste in landfill sites, it added.

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