Govt extends ALMM relief for select solar projects till December
New Delhi, July 18
The government has extended the exemption from mandatory sourcing of Approved List of Models and Manufacturers List-II solar PV cells for net metering and open access renewable energy projects till December 31, while making it clear that there will be no blanket extension of the policy for all solar projects, an official statement said on Saturday.
According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the exemption is being provided only as a limited transition window for net-metering and open access renewable energy projects. Earlier, this dispensation was available till May 31.
The ministry further noted that there would be no change in the government's policy on the implementation of ALMM List-II for solar PV cells, and projects commissioned after December 31, 2026, will have to comply with the ALMM List-II provisions.
The decision follows detailed deliberations with various stakeholders from the solar industry to ensure a smooth transition to mandatory sourcing of ALMM List-II-compliant solar PV cells for the affected project categories.
The move will also help standalone solar PV module manufacturers by protecting investments already made in the form of inventories through additional demand creation, according to the ministry.
It said the extension would provide manufacturers sufficient time to gradually increase sourcing of solar PV cells from ALMM List-II-listed manufacturers, as domestic cell manufacturing capacity under the approved list continues to expand.
The ministry reiterated that strengthening domestic solar manufacturing remains a key priority of the government.
"The government is committed to making India self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) in solar PV manufacturing and establishing India as a major player in the global value chain," it added.
The ministry clarified that all net metering and open access renewable energy projects commissioned after December 31, 2026, will be required to source solar PV modules from ALMM List-I and solar PV cells from ALMM List-II, in line with the existing policy.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some clarity! The solar industry has been in limbo for months. This transition window until December 2026 is reasonable. But I hope domestic manufacturers ramp up quality and capacity quickly - we can't keep extending deadlines forever.
😊 Good move! As someone working in the renewable energy sector, this is welcome news. The ALMM list needs to have enough domestic capacity before making it mandatory. Otherwise projects will get stuck. But I wish the government had announced this earlier to avoid uncertainty.
Smart policymaking - protecting domestic manufacturing while not killing the open access solar market. The December 2026 deadline gives manufacturers time to scale up. Hope this helps achieve India's 500GW renewable target!
Partially good news. The extension is helpful for net metering projects but I'm concerned about smaller developers who might still struggle. Also, ALMM List-II cell manufacturers need to be more transparent about their pricing. Otherwise the cost will ultimately be passed to consumers.
As someone who installed rooftop solar last year, I'm glad this clarifies things for new installations. The government's push for domestic manufacturing is good for our economy and energy security. Let's hope the quality of Indian-made solar cells improves to match global standards.
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