Japan is facing the growing challenge of promoting solar panel recycling. Large numbers of panels will need replacing by the late 2030s.

Renewable energy is one of the topics in the COP28 climate conference now underway in Dubai.

In Japan, solar power accounted for 9.2 percent of the power supply in fiscal 2022 -- the highest figure among renewable energy sources. Japan's government plans to raise that to around 16 percent in fiscal 2030.

However, by the late 2030s, up to 800,000 tons of solar panels annually will reach the end of their lifespan of 20 to 25 years.

The Environment Ministry says there were 25 facilities in the country that could handle solar panel recycling as of fiscal 2021.

One power company in eastern Japan says a storm in September damaged about 50 of their 4,000 solar panels. The damaged panels remain there after local recyclers said they had never handled solar panels before.

A company official said Japan's recycling systems need more development in order to aid domestic panel production.

In April, the government launched a panel of industry experts to study increasing recycling facilities and the use of recycled glass. Glass and some metals are core materials for solar panels.

An Osaka-based recycling firm, which attended a panel meeting, installed solar panel recycling equipment with state financial assistance two years ago.

The equipment separates glass and metal portions of a panel so that the glass can be reused. Heavily damaged glass is crushed and then sold for use in other products.

The company said recycling glass is difficult, and as many impurities as possible need to be filtered out. It said ways to utilize the recycled glass have not been established, so demand needs to be created.