Mandatory Solar Cells from ALMM List after 1 Month

New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) To ease out procedures for projects floated by government agencies, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has mandated the use of solar cells named in the Approved List of Models & Manufacturers (ALMM) only after one month of the publication of the list.

The ALMM is a mechanism to ensure the reliability of a producer, for protecting consumer interests, while ensuring a larger energy security of the country. The government introduced the ALMM order (List I) in 2019 for solar modules to boost the manufacturing and usage of made-in-India solar panels.

It was made mandatory to source PV modules from models and manufacturers included in the ALMM List I.

Later with amendments to the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), the government included cells to the list as well.

The ministry on Monday said that as a part of the amended procedure, the ALMM for solar PV cells will be mandatory only one month after the publication of ALMM list for solar PV cells, which is currently under process.

However, the effective date for mandatory use of solar PV cells under ALMM list, for projects commissioned from June 1, 2026, onwards, will remain as notified earlier.

Above measure is expected to give ample clarity to bidders in submitting their bids in tenders which are required to have provisions for bidders, to submit their bids, keeping in view the mandate for using both solar modules and cells from ALMM lists.

This will expedite solar cell manufacturing and will help it to keep pace with the growing module manufacturing capacity in the country.

The ministry noted that the ALMM mechanism has also ensured quick promotion of domestic solar manufacturing industry in the country, which currently stands at 91 GW of solar PV modules and 27 GW of solar PV cells, the MNRE said.

This step will boost the domestic solar manufacturing projects in the country while adequately addressing the issues faced by the renewable power developers in complying with the ALMM for solar PV cells.