India to Unveil ALMM-II for Solar Cells Amid Growing Demand

India is set to issue the highly anticipated ALMM-II list for solar cells in the next ten days, according to officials close to the development.

The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM-II) will outline the standards and certified manufacturers for solar cells, as India strives to become a self-reliant country when it comes to domestic manufacturing of clean energy.

The ALMM-II for solar cells will help provide certainty in the use of made in India solar cells in government funded solar programs, as a regulatory requirement.

With no ALMM-II until now, it has created uncertainty in all the project auctions due to a mismatch between installed manufacturing capacity and demand. This uncertainty slowed the sector down as developers were unsure what to procure. 

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ALMM-I, which applies to the solar module, has provided a mechanism that has effectively served as a non-tariff barrier to grow local manufacturing. ALMM-II has been delayed during the wait for sufficient cell production capacity within India.

As solar installations have been growing rapidly, industry contacts believe that the release of ALMM-II for solar cells will provide some clarity and consistency for all the bids coming up. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had earlier set December 9, 2024, as the deadline for making domestic sourcing of solar cells mandatory in new project tenders. As India continues to strengthen its solar value chain, the ALMM-II release is expected to mark a key step in shaping the future of local solar manufacturing.