By Solar Times Bureau
MNRE extends effective date for implementation of Approved Lists of Models and Manufacturers of Solar PV Modules and Solar PV Cells by six months to 30.09-2020
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 modulesand Solar PV cells to 30th September 2020, which was earlier 31.03.2020, due to COVID-19 pandemic.
With the objective of building energy security for the country and ensuring reliability of Solar PV Cells and Modules, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) had issued Order dated 02.01.2019 regarding Approved List of Models & Manufacturers (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.
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 dated 02.01.2019 regarding Approved List of Models & Manufacturers (ALMM) for Solar PV cells & modules.