The energy transition is advancing rapidly. Photovoltaic panels are spreading across rooftops and fields, while massive energy storage units using batteries are emerging to cover the major “weakness” of renewable sources—namely, the instability of their production. However, behind this “green” image, a less visible problem is emerging: what happens when all these systems reach the end of their life cycle?
The answer—at least in theory—is simple: recycling. In practice, however, it proves complex, with industry stakeholders describing it as the “Middle East of the energy market.” In Greece, the issue is developing into a “time bomb.” By 2055, more than one million tons of photovoltaic panel waste are expected to be generated, with the mass influx anticipated after 2030, when the first large projects will have aged.
The development of photovoltaics in Greece has been impressive. By 2012, approximately 125,000 tons of photovoltaic panels had already been installed, marking the first major phase of the technology’s penetration. During the period 2013–2020, another 115,000 tons were added, in a market that continued to grow but without a licensed recycling system. The real “boom,” however, was recorded in the five-year period 2021–2025, with 400,000 tons of photovoltaics installed, reflecting the rapid acceleration of the green transition and foreshadowing the future challenge of managing their waste. At the same time, batteries—the new “heart” of the energy system—are entering the market dynamically, creating, together with photovoltaics, two parallel waves of waste that will test the resilience of both the market and the state.
25–30 years their lifespan
Photovoltaics have a lifespan of 25–30 years, meaning that the “boom” in installations over the past fifteen years will soon turn into a “boom” in waste. Today, recycling is moving at… idle speed. Only 500 tons have been recycled by Fotokyklosi, the only Collective Alternative Management System (CAM) operating since 2020, despite actual needs estimated at 2,500 tons of waste annually.
Last year, the Hellenic Recycling Organization (EOAN) licensed three new systems (RE-LAT, a subsidiary of the Aktor Group; PV REVIVE by JinkoSolar and Kafkas; and ANAFOS). However, the main problem of contribution evasion remains, creating a funding gap for the four systems and the three existing photovoltaic recycling units operating in Crete, Western Macedonia, and Central Greece, with a total capacity of 10,000 tons annually. Without funding, investments in new recycling units cannot be made, nor can a proper management chain be created. Contribution evasion is estimated at €150 million, as for the majority of photovoltaic panels imported into the Greek market, no recycling fee has been paid.
A major “thorn” has been the back-and-forth over the level of the recycling fee. In the years 2020–2022, it was set at €300 per ton, a level considered high by the market and which led to non-compliance by investors. In 2023–2024 it was reduced to €150, without substantial improvement in fee payments. In 2025 it returned to €300, with EOAN committing that the final minimum contribution level will be determined after evaluating data and management costs.
According to what EOAN CEO Alexandra Sofia Togia told To Vima, the study assigned to PricewaterhouseCoopers on the minimum recycling fee will be presented in May, and the most likely scenario will be approved. As she explains, the need arose because in the business plans submitted by management systems for approval, significant discrepancies were observed in estimated recycling costs—from €290 to €470 per ton—and in the proposed contributions—from €80 to €340. “An issue of recycling credibility arose. We proceeded with the study to ensure transparency and equal treatment of obligated producers,” she notes.
The planned adjustment of the fee has placed the market in a waiting position, as noted by Stelios Psomas, advisor to the Association of Photovoltaic Companies, while a large portion of investors express concern about the temporarily high recycling fee, considering it discouraging—especially for the payment of retroactive contributions for quantities of photovoltaic panels that entered the Greek market in previous years. To curb contribution evasion, the collection of data from competent authorities is being considered regarding projects that have already been connected or are to be connected to the electricity grid.
If photovoltaics reflect the current dimension of the problem, batteries outline the next one. Energy storage is considered critical for the transition, as the increase in renewable sources requires large-scale accumulators. The management cost of these products, which have a lifespan of more than 15 years, is high and reaches approximately 10%–15% of the investment, driving up recycling contributions as well.
Although no issue of retroactive contributions has arisen for batteries, EOAN accepted proposals from the market regarding financing mechanisms. Thus, on Holy Monday it made decisions for the management systems Combatt and RE-Battery, defining the framework for the payment of recycling fees by importers and producers (a similar decision has also been made for the “Hephaestus” system).
Given the high recycling cost, a dual “scheme” is foreseen: an initial contribution that will cover the operation of management systems and a bank guarantee for the remaining amount, depending on the weight of the batteries installed in a project. This will be gradually repaid from the investment’s revenues, with a corresponding reduction of the guarantee. Moreover, recycling costs will be revised based on technological and market developments. The goal is to avoid repeating the mistakes of photovoltaics so that a new wave of “orphan” waste is not created without the necessary funding for its management.
What is happening in Europe
At the European level, battery recycling is in a development phase, but even there it does not keep pace with actual needs. More than 30 battery management projects are operating or under development in Europe, although about half face delays. Battery waste flows are estimated to reach around 420,000 tons annually by 2030, increasing exponentially thereafter.
As for photovoltaics, installed capacity in Europe and the United Kingdom exceeds 360 GW (gigawatts), but most panels are relatively new and have not yet completed their life cycle. Thus, the major wave of waste is expected after 2030.
