The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has proposed to introduce the Approved List of Modules and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-III for solar wafers, which will come into effect from June 1, 2028. As per the proposal, ALMM List-III will include only those manufacturers that have at least three independent wafer manufacturing units, with a combined capacity of at least 15 GW per year. These units must not be under common ownership or control. Additionally, manufacturers must also have ingot manufacturing capacity equal to their wafer capacity.
MNRE stated that all solar projects covered under ALMM will be required to source modules, cells, and wafers from approved lists, i.e., List-I for modules, List-II for cells, and List-III for wafers. However, projects already exempted from using ALMM-listed solar cells will also be exempted from using ALMM-listed wafers.
Furthermore, for projects where the last date of bid submission falls on or before the cut-off date, which is defined as seven days after the issuance of the initial ALMM List-III for wafers, there will be no requirement to source wafers from ALMM List-III. This exemption will apply irrespective of the project’s commissioning date, even if it is after the effective date.
