RenewSys Now a Part of Indian Govt’s ALMM for Solar Modules

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has updated the approved list of models and manufacturers (ALMM) for solar modules, and added eight more Indian companies to the list. Currently, the list features 66 Indian manufacturers who can supply solar equipment for solar projects in India.

This would be the seventh update to the list.

The new players added are RenewSys India, Waaree Energies Ltd., Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL), Neety Euro Asia Solar Energy, Shivam Photovoltaics Pvt Ltd, Sahaj Solar Pvt Ltd, Raajratna Ventures Ltd, and Mundra Solar Energy Ltd.

The ALMM was introduced in 2019 by MNRE to reduce the country’s import dependence on solar modules. Only those manufacturers that are listed in the ALMM, can supply equipment for government-supported solar projects that supply electricity to the discoms. Moreover, ALMM lists only domestic manufacturers currently.

To get featured in the list, companies have to obtain a product and performance certificate from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Moreover, the enlistment is valid for two years.

The Indian Government is trying to boost the nation’s domestic module manufacturing capabilities. This is why, foreign manufacturers have not been granted the permission to feature in the ALMM yet. The non-approval functions as a non-tariff barrier to limit the import of solar equipment from countries like China, that supply a major portion of equipment for the country’s solar projects.

However, while policy initiatives such as ALMM and PLI (Performance linked incentives) are encouraging domestic production, the price of solar modules has also increased significantly. According to a recent report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and JMK Research & Analytics, due to supply chain constraints and rising prices of raw materials, solar module prices have risen in the past 18-20 months.

“Module price volatility will persist in the Indian solar landscape for the next 1-2 years. We expect a substantial portion of the high-wattage domestic module capacity will cater to the export market. This would be an added constraint to the supply of such modules for the Indian market,” the report adds.