To guarantee higher quality for these products and to support homegrown production, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy intends to release a policy akin to the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) for solar modules for solar cells.
The manufacturers and models listed in ALMM are those solar project developers who can get the necessary equipment. For solar modules, ALMM is now in effect. Unfortunately, the consumer industry’s resistance has made it difficult to deploy ALMM for solar modules in recent years properly
Due to the restricted domestic module supply and to let solar PV manufacturers finish their projects, ALMM was placed on hold in FY24. The sector had expressed worries about the higher pricing and lower quality of domestic modules when compared to those from China. After that, it was reinstated in April of this year.
Recent research by Mercom India Research states that the nation added 20.8 GW of solar module production capacity and 3.2 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity in the calendar year 2023. According to the report, the nation’s total module manufacturing capacity as of December 2023 was 64.5 GW. Up till December 2023, the manufacturing capacity of solar cells was 5.8 GW.
Mercom reports that India imported 16.2 GW of solar modules in 2023, the most in a single year and a 158% increase from 10.3 GW in 2022. In addition, domestic producers exported 4.8 GW of solar modules in 2023 as opposed to 1.6 GW in 2022.
Solar cell imports increased by 169% to 15.6 GW in 2023 from 5.8 GW in 2022. From a pitiful 10 megawatts (MW) in 2022, solar cell exports rose dramatically to 286.3 MW. According to the estimate, India’s solar cell production capacity would reach 75 GW and its module manufacturing capacity will surpass 150 GW by 2026. PLI program has granted about 40 GW to come online, with the remaining portion still in development, according to analysts.
Speaking about the government’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, which will invest a minimum of Rs 19,744 crore to develop a green hydrogen production capacity of 5 million tonnes annually, the minister stated that it will result in the addition of 125 GW of renewable energy capacity and 60-100 GW of electrolyser capacity. According to him, 15 businesses have already been chosen by the government to construct an electrolyser capacity of 15,000 MW or 15 GW.
