The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has released an important clarification on equipment sourcing norms for renewable energy projects linked to green hydrogen and green ammonia facilities under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme. The clarification aims to support early-stage developers by reducing regulatory uncertainty and easing compliance requirements tied to solar component sourcing.

According to the ministry’s office memorandum, renewable power projects dedicated exclusively to supplying electricity to green hydrogen or green ammonia plants under SIGHT Mode-2A or Mode-2B will be eligible for conditional exemption from the requirement to use solar PV cells listed under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers, specifically ALMM List-II. This decision follows industry requests seeking clarity on how ALMM norms apply to early SIGHT projects, which form a central part of India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Conditional exemption for early bids

The exemption applies only to projects for which the deadline for bid submission was on or before 31 August 2025. This is independent of the eventual commissioning date. It covers solar capacity bids under Mode-2A issued by the Solar Energy Corporation of India and early renewable capacity tenders under Mode-2B issued by oil marketing companies.

However, the ministry has stressed that this is not an automatic waiver. Developers seeking exemption from ALMM List-II requirements must file a formal request with MNRE. Each request will be assessed individually, based on the project’s specific circumstances. The clarification also states that provisions from the ministry’s earlier office memorandum dated 27 May 2024, which offered conditional ALMM exemptions under certain conditions, will continue to apply.

This move is expected to ease challenges associated with sourcing approved solar components for early green hydrogen and ammonia projects. By relaxing ALMM requirements for specific bids, the clarification may help avoid delays, lower compliance pressures and support timely development of renewable power infrastructure that is essential for hydrogen production.

As India accelerates its transition to green hydrogen, policy clarifications of this nature are vital for reducing uncertainty and supporting developers as they align with national decarbonisation goals under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Source: 

https://www.energetica-india.net/news/mnre-issues-clarification-on-almm-norms-for-sight-mode-2a-2b-green-hydrogen-projects