MNRE Releases Updated ALMM List With 8 New Additions

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued an updated list of approved manufacturers in its ALMM (Approved list of module manufacturers) list. The List is effective September 29, 2021, with the certifications valid to September 28, 2023, or two years.

Unlike the few number of additions in the last list — three to be precise — the fresh list has eight new additions with varied locales and capacities per year, which range from 20 MW to 110 MW. The additions are as follows:

Sanelite Solar Pvt. Ltd. (20 MW, Gujarat); Himalayan Solar Pvt. Ltd. (40 MW, Haryana); Sun N Sand Exim (India) Pvt. Ltd. (40 MW, Haryana); GreenBrilliance Renewable Energy LLP. (50 MW, Gujarat); Solarium Green Energy LLP. (70 MW, Gujarat); Pennar Industries Ltd. (75 MW, Telangana); Insolation Energy Pvt. Ltd. (100 MW, Rajasthan); and Gautam Solar Pvt. Ltd. (110 MW, Uttrakhand).

The list was last updated on August 17, 2021, and its validity stretched till August 16, 2023.

No foreign manufacturer names have made it to the list yet again, despite many manufacturers having expressed hope that it would happen. This is slightly concerning, but it might be worth mentioning that the list does not seem to mention any bifacial modules in approved list, or even modules with rated output higher than 400W yet.

Overall approved domestic capacity available as per the new list is now at about 8,855 MW spread over 34 manufacturers.

Predictably, foreign manufacturers are still missing from the list, creating further doubts on the possibilities and future issues with using their modules in projects ahead. Many developers have already started raising worries on the possible price escalations that will follow if those manufacturers are locked out of large utility scale projects.

High output modules over (400W) and Bifacial modules are also missing from the list of approved panels, something one hopes will change soon, as the industry seeks to move on from older, polycrystalline tech to mono and bifacials.