MNRE Seeks to Monitor Solar Cell, Module Prices as Domestic Cell Mandate Takes Effect

India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, or MNRE, has asked Indian solar manufacturers to submit monthly price ranges for domestically manufactured solar cells and modules, and warned that prices must remain within a fair range, after it tightened a key module sourcing criteria framework on June 1.

The directive was sent to manufacturers in a May 30 letter and shared with OPIS by a manufacturer source.

The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers, or ALMM, is MNRE’s registry of approved solar products and manufacturers eligible for use in government-related projects in the country.

From June 1, the framework expanded from modules to their component cells, extending India’s domestic-sourcing requirement further upstream in the solar value chain.

In the letter, the ministry said its decision to maintain the June 1 deadline reflected the government’s commitment to policy stability, domestic manufacturing self-sufficiency, investor confidence and the protection of renewable energy projects where investments had already been made. At the same time, MNRE said it was “essential” for domestically manufactured
solar PV module and cell prices to “remain within a fair range,” and that there should be no “excessive opportunistic profiteering.”

The directive comes as limited domestic solar cell capacity continues to support a wide premium for DCR modules, or modules made with domestically manufactured cells, over non-DCR modules using imported cells. There are currently around 30GW of ALMM cell capacity and 200GW of ALMM module capacity.

OPIS last reported non-DCR Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact, or TOPCon, module indications at an average of INR14.21/wp ($0.149/wp) EXW India. Limited indications for DCR TOPCon modules using domestic M10 TOPCon cells, meanwhile, were heard at INR24.60-26.50/wp, implying a premium of more than 75% over non-DCR TOPCon modules.

Manufacturers must submit the monthly price data to the National Institute of Solar Energy, or NISE, by the 10th day of each month. MNRE said the submitted price ranges should be as narrow as possible and should exclude outliers or aberrations.

Failure to submit the data may lead to the withholding of capacity-addition or model-inclusion applications by defaulting manufacturers. Such manufacturers may also be removed from the ALMM lists, MNRE said.

The reporting requirement covers both utility-scale projects or orders above 10MW, and distributed renewable energy projects or orders below 10MW. Prices must be submitted on an ex-factory basis, including GST, in INR/Wp.

The annexure to the directive asks manufacturers to report price ranges for modules and cells across the following technologies:

• Mono-PERC — Monocrystalline Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell
• TOPCon — Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact
• HJT — Heterojunction
• CdTe — Cadmium Telluride thin-film

For modules, the annexure includes reporting slots for both non-DCR and DCR modules. MNRE also asked NISE to collect the monthly price data in the prescribed format and submit it to the ministry after verifying records and market prices with sample vendors.

–Reporting by Jun Won Lee, jlee1@opisnet.com; Editing by Hanwei Wu, hwu@opisnet.com