Module high quality norms to be tightened

New Delhi: The federal government plans to boost high quality norms and requirements for photo voltaic modules and cells in a bid to cease low cost and badly made Chinese language imports flooding the market and to make sure solely high-quality modules are used for government-backed photo voltaic initiatives,

Most Indian-made photo voltaic modules are of sub-standard high quality that don’t meet the effectivity standards of every module changing 21% of photo voltaic vitality into electrical energy —a stepping stone to India’s 2030 goal of reaching 500 GW of renewable vitality capability.

The transfer includes tightening the norms below the Accepted Listing of Module Producers (ALMM), launched in 2019 to make sure high quality compliance by producers. Gear from corporations on the listing could be sourced for government-supported schemes and initiatives that in flip provide energy to electrical energy discoms. Producers and photo voltaic modules are permitted by the Bureau of Indian Requirements (BIS) and the ministry of recent and renewable vitality. The listing was additionally geared toward lowering the import dependence for photo voltaic modules.

In March, the ministry deferred the implementation of the ALMM for government-backed initiatives until April 2024 on account of a scarcity of modules and the prospects of rising solar energy tariffs.

Union minister for brand spanking new and renewable vitality Raj Kumar Singh in an interview mentioned the extension would assist initiatives which have been delayed because of the covid-19 pandemic and a scarcity of modules. “You will note initiatives arising as soon as these extensions are over,” he mentioned.

Noting an absence of ample module capability with the required effectivity, the minister mentioned: “Out of the 22 GW, nearly about 13 GW is of decrease effectivity.

“The grid-scale effectivity of 21% and above is barely 9 GW. For making module of 21% effectivity, you want cell of twenty-two% and 23% effectivity, for which the manufacturing is just one.5 GW. It is a constraining issue, as remaining cells must be imported. And under-construction initiatives stand at 52 GW.” The overall capability for manufacturing photo voltaic photovoltaic modules within the nation, as per ALMM is about 22.4 GW every year.

He additionally confused the necessity to maintain the price of renewable vitality down as India plans to change into globally aggressive in inexperienced hydrogen, which is produced with renewable vitality.

Describing ALMM as a high quality management mechanism, reasonably than a non-tariff barrier, Singh, who additionally holds the portfolio of minister of energy, mentioned: “We’re planning to deliver adjustments to the ALMM scheme. A top quality management mechanism ought to be sure that outdated merchandise and applied sciences are saved out. Any expertise which is outdated is not going to be allowed below ALMM. We’ll specify a minimal effectivity degree is not going to be allowed after a yr (when ALMM comes into impact).”

The proposed adjustments are at the moment being examined and the norms are prone to be introduced within the round six weeks, he mentioned, including, “Out of date expertise and modules is not going to discover a place in ALMM.”

The listing at the moment has a complete of 91 module producers.

On 9 March, 2021, the Centre introduced that from 1 April, 2022 any import of photo voltaic PV modules would appeal to primary customs obligation (BCD) of 40% and import of photo voltaic PV cells would appeal to BCD of 25% in a bid to decrease imports from China.

The federal government has additionally give you two tranches of the production-linked incentive scheme. Within the union funds for 2022-23, the Centre introduced an allocation of a further 19,500 crore below the photo voltaic PLI scheme to fabricate high-efficiency modules, with precedence to completely built-in manufacturing models from polysilicon to photo voltaic PV modules. The allocation below the primary tranche was 4,500 crore.

Based on the federal government, manufacturing capability totaling 7.4 GW is predicted to change into operational by October 2024, whereas 16.8 GW capability can be prepared by April 2025. The remaining 15.4 GW capability can be operational by April 2026 below the motivation scheme.

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Up to date: 25 Apr 2023, 11:10 PM IST