Centre Mulling Over Inclusion of Solar PV Cells in ALMM

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is planning to include Solar PV Cells under the ambit of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) and a final decision is expected soon.

September 05, 2024. By EI News Network

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is considering introducing a policy akin to the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) for solar modules, but specifically for solar cells.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of POWERGEN India 2024, Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said, “An ALMM list for solar PV cells is in the pipeline and a final decision will be made shortly.”

This initiative, if implemented, will enhance the quality of solar cells and support domestic manufacturing efforts and also reduce the reliance on Chinese imports.

Currently, ALMM list is applicable only to solar modules, restricting participation in government-backed projects to companies that produce these modules within India. And, the inclusion of solar cells will broaden the scope for domestic manufacturers as well.

The ALMM framework was first rolled out in 2021 and was put on hold for the fiscal year 2023-24, As we reported earlier, the ALMM was enforced once again from April 1, 2024.

However, it was applicable to projects sponsored or subsidized by the government. This included projects procuring power for governmental consumption or distribution through Distribution Companies, as well as Solar PV Rooftops and PM KUSUM initiatives benefiting from subsidies.

Since then, the initiative has made rapid progress. The total approved solar capacity under the list surged past 50 GW. And, very recently a revised ALMM list was released by the MNRE which includes three new manufacturers and provisional enlistment for several others. The details about these additions can be found here.

Looking at the kind of impact the ALMM list has on domestic solar PV module manufacturing, it won’t be farfetched to state that expanding the ALMM list to include solar cells could prove to be a key catalyst in boosting local production as India pushes to become a global leader in clean energy manufacturing.

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Pralhad Joshi