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The amount of old solar panels and wind turbine blades is expected to multiply as solar and wind power plants grow. But Sweden is not ready to handle the expected amount of end-of-life solar panels and wind turbine blades in the future, the National Audit Office states in a new report.
The government and responsible authorities need to take measures so that solar panels and wind turbine blades can be taken care of according to the rules for EU waste management. The National Audit Office assesses that it is primarily the rules regarding producer responsibility for electrical equipment that are not sufficiently clear, while there are also shortcomings in the Environmental Protection Agency’s supervision.
“Given that the amount of end-of-life panels is expected to increase from roughly ten tons today to more than 20,000 tons per year after 2050, the government and the Environmental Protection Agency need to ensure that producer responsibility works,” says Fredrik Engström, project manager for the review, in a comment.