Module-cell manufacturers get six months extension
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has recently issued office memorandum extending the effective dates for implementation of Approved Lists of Models & Manufacturers (ALMM) for Solar PV modules and Solar PV cells to 30 September 2020 from 31 Mar 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
With the objective of building energy security for the country and ensuring reliability of Solar PV Cells and Modules, MNRE had issued Order on 2 Jan 2019 for ALMM for Solar PV cells & modules, providing for enlistment of models and manufacturers of solar PV cells and modules, complying with the BIS Standards in ALMM List-I (for solar PV modules) & ALMM List-II (for solar PV Cells).
This mechanism proposed to have List-I specifying models and manufacturers of Solar PV models and List-II specifying models and manufacturers of Solar PV Cells, said MNRE on 21 Apr 2020.
The ALMM Order stipulates that after effective date, all Solar PV Power Projects which are Government owned, Government assisted, bid out as per Central Govt’s Standard Bidding Guidelines, shall mandatorily procurer solar PV cells and modules for such projects from the manufacturers approved and included in the ALMM Lists after effective date.
MNRE has been consistently directing all implementing agencies (of Central & State Governments) to explicitly, upfront, include clauses in their tender documents regarding mandatory requirement of procuring solar PV cells and modules only from the ALMM Lists, once the ALMM lists become effective.
MNRE has re-iterated that all stakeholders including solar PV cells and modules manufactures, renewable energy (RE) power developers, implementing agencies and RE power procurers, and most importantly banks & financial institutions involved in lending to RE sector, align their activities in order to comply with for strict compliance with Order of 2 Jan 2019 regarding ALMM for Solar PV cells & modules. fiinews.com
