India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has recently reinstated the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) starting from 1st April. This move aims to regulate and ensure the quality and reliability of renewable energy products in the country.
On March 29, 2024, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) declared that the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) for solar PV modules would be implemented starting from April 1, 2024.
It further stated: “For each project in which the solar PV modules have been delivered to the project site by March 31, 2024, but cannot be commissioned by that date due to reasons beyond the control of the renewable power developer, a separate evaluation will be conducted.”
MNRE made an announcement stating that the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) was temporarily suspended from March 2023 due to concerns regarding the insufficient supply of domestically-produced modules to meet the demand. As a result, projects that are commissioned by the end of March 2024 will be exempted from the obligation to procure solar PV modules from the ALMM.
Initially, MNRE had announced on 9th February that the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) would be reinstated on 1st April. During that announcement, MNRE had clarified that the ALMM requirements would not be enforced on projects established under open access and rooftop solar projects by private entities. However, the recent update from MNRE has reversed this decision, removing these exemptions for such projects.
Furthermore, on 15th February, MNRE declared that it had chosen to postpone the reinstatement of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) “until further notice”
Experts in the industry have recommended that the government should provide more specific information regarding the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) before reintroducing it. This clarity is essential to prevent being inundated with petitions and conflicts that could potentially hinder capacity expansions in India.
However, in the recent announcement by MNRE, the government did not provide any explanation for the decision to reinstate the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM).
Before reintroducing the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), MNRE established minimum efficiency standards for cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film modules to be included in the ALMM for solar PV modules. According to the announcement from MNRE, CdTe thin-film modules are categorized into three groups based on their applications: utility or grid-scale power plants, rooftop and solar pumping, and solar lighting. The minimum efficiency required for utility or grid-scale power plants is set at 19%, the highest among all categories.
The minimum efficiency requirements for rooftop solar pumping and solar lighting are set at 18.5% and 18%, respectively.
