The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has clarified that the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) Order will not apply to open access and net-metering solar power projects where the first application for the grant of the following approvals has been submitted on or before October 1, 2022.

This first application could be submitted to any relevant entities including distribution licensees, central/state transmission utilities, national/state/regional load despatch centers, Grid Controller of India, or state nodal agencies for renewable energy. This includes:

• In-principle approval, or
• No objection certificate, or
• government order, or
• Any other such approvals as required for open access or net-metering of the renewable energy projects

as per the provisions of the respective state or union territory policies or as the rules and regulations of respective central/state/joint electricity regulatory commissions.

The ALMM mandate was reimposed on April 1, 2024. The order on reimposition, however, did away with the exemptions for projects under open access and rooftop solar by private parties announced earlier.

The ALMM order 2019 was held in abeyance for the financial year 2023-24. The then Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, R K Singh, had said that India’s fledgling module manufacturing capacity was insufficient to cater to the large planned solar capacity pipeline.

MNRE expanded the ALMM by adding 2,084 MW of new solar module capacity. The cumulative module manufacturing capacity under ALMM now stands at 56,520 MW.

MNRE also revised the guidelines for the inspection and final enlistment of provisionally listed manufacturers. According to the new rules, the final enlistment must be completed within two months of the application. If the National Institute of Solar Energy has conducted the inspection but MNRE has not yet received the recommendation, the provisional enlistment will automatically become final after two months.

Mercom had earlier explained the application process for ALMM inclusion and renewal.