Jaipur: In a major relief for the renewable energy sector, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Saturday allowed solar projects under the net-metering and open access categories to continue commissioning without complying with domestic solar cell sourcing requirements until Dec 31, 2026.The decision provides much-needed breathing space to hundreds of ongoing projects that were facing uncertainty due to new domestic content rules.The ministry, however, clarified that there will be no blanket extension of ALMM List-II norms, which require developers to use solar photovoltaic (PV) cells manufactured in India. From Jan 1, 2027, all projects commissioned under the relevant categories will have to strictly comply with the domestic sourcing requirement.The order comes after months of concern from solar developers, particularly in Rajasthan, one of the country’s largest solar power hubs.Developers had argued that while they support the govt’s push for domestic manufacturing, the current availability of locally produced solar cells is insufficient to meet demand. As a result, several projects that were planned using imported cells faced delays and the risk of becoming financially unviable.Sunil Bansal, president of Rajasthan Solar Association, said, “Many projects were already under construction or had signed contracts before the stricter norms were announced. Switching to domestically sourced cells midway would increase costs, delay execution and create financing problems.”RSA had filed a petition seeking an 18-month extension of the deadline, arguing that the sector needed more time to adapt to the new rules and secure domestic supplies. The court has been hearing the matter and was scheduled to deliver its verdict on Monday.While the ministry’s latest order grants only about seven months of additional relief instead of the 18 months sought by developers, it is expected to help several projects achieve commissioning and avoid penalties.
