Author: Chinenye

In a major push to deepen local value addition in the solar sector, the Government of India has announced an expansion of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) framework to include solar ingots and wafers. The move is aimed at strengthening domestic manufacturing, cutting import reliance, and building a more resilient clean energy supply chain. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on Saturday unveiled ALMM List-III, which specifically covers ingots and wafers. The new list will take effect from June 1, 2028. From that date, all solar power projects in the country, including those under net metering and open access categories, will be required to source wafers only from manufacturers featured on the ALMM List-III. Announcing the decision on social media, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi called it a “decisive step” toward building a robust solar manufacturing ecosystem in India. “The extension of ALMM to ingots and wafers will give a strong fillip to domestic production, improve supply chain resilience, reduce our dependence on imports, and ensure higher quality standards across the entire solar value chain,” Joshi said. Under the revised provisions, any bids submitted after a specified cut-off date under the Electricity Act will have to mandatorily use wafers that comply with ALMM List-III. To ensure adequate domestic capacity before the list comes into force, the Ministry said the first version of List-III will be published only after at least three independent manufacturers with a combined production capacity of 15 gigawatts become operational in India. In addition, companies seeking to be included will also need to demonstrate equivalent ingot manufacturing capacity. This requirement, officials explained, is intended to promote upstream integration and prevent a situation where the country only assembles downstream products while remaining dependent on imported upstream components. The government has built in safeguards for projects that are already in the pipeline. Through grandfathering provisions, existing projects will be allowed to proceed without having to comply with the new wafer mandate. The Ministry also clarified that the existing Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) norms will continue unchanged. This means developers working under DCR tenders will still have to meet those separate domestic sourcing obligations. The expansion of ALMM comes as India accelerates toward its target of 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. Policy makers say controlling more stages of the solar manufacturing process domestically will be critical to achieving that goal in a cost-effective and secure manner. Industry analysts note that wafers and ingots represent a crucial upstream segment where India has so far had limited manufacturing presence. By mandating domestic sourcing from 2028, the government is signaling to investors that long-term demand will be anchored in locally made components. Officials expect the policy to encourage new investments, technology transfer, and scale-up of production lines. It is also expected to create jobs and improve quality control across the value chain, from polysilicon to finished modules. With this latest step, the government is reinforcing its broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in clean energy. By bringing ingots and wafers under the ALMM umbrella, India is moving closer to having end-to-end domestic capability in solar manufacturing, a move seen as essential for both energy security and the country’s climate commitments.

The Youth Wing of the All Progressives Congress, APC, says it will fully support President Bola Tinubu’s push for renewable energy to help grow Nigeria’s economy. APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, made the pledge on Monday at the opening of the Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi Energy Leadership Fellowship, MAELF, in Abuja. The 7-day training program is for young professionals in the energy sector. It will focus on renewable energy, climate action, energy policies, leadership and good governance. Speaking at the event, Mr. Israel said poor power supply is still the biggest problem affecting businesses and industries in Nigeria. He said the youth wing is ready to work with the Tinubu government to solve the problem. “Energy has been a major problem in Nigeria, and the President has said that if he doesn’t fix the energy issue, we should hold him responsible,” Israel said. “As a party, we must support the President to achieve his energy goals.” He explained that the fellowship was set up to link young people in the energy space with government agencies and decision makers. Participants will meet with the Energy Commission of Nigeria, the Renewable Energy Agency and other energy bodies to discuss solutions. “The focus is on renewable energy, biogas and other clean sources. We want ‘UP NEPA’ to be a thing of the past,” he added. “Small businesses need power. Industrialization needs power. That is why we must bring in new people with new ideas.” Mr. Israel also announced a N17.5 million grant for the fellows. The grant is supported by Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. He said the money and other support will help young Nigerians grow their energy businesses. He further said that President Tinubu’s big road projects, like the Lagos Coastal Road, Badagry Expressway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway, will only work if there is steady electricity. “When you build roads, you build industries. You need power at the heart of all of these things,” he said. One of the fellows, Nafisat Ovurebu, who co-founded Fosun Solar Energy Nigeria Limited, said Nigeria does not lack energy resources, but lacks reliable supply. “We have abundant energy resources, but that does not automatically translate to reliability,” she said. She added that programs like MAELF can help find lasting solutions by looking at how power is generated, distributed and funded. She expressed hope that the fellowship will prepare young professionals to help fix the power sector.

Israeli energy company Shikun and Binui Energy has officially started commercial operations at its second solar power plant in Romania. The new facility is located in Șimleu Silvaniei, in Sălaj county in the northwest part of the country. It has a peak capacity of 104 MW, which means it can produce enough electricity to power tens of thousands of homes. The launch comes right after the company reached the “ready-to-build” stage for another project in Romania — the Deleni hybrid power plant. With the new Șimleu Silvaniei plant now running, Shikun and Binui Energy’s total solar capacity in Romania has gone up to 175 MW. The company said it is not stopping there. It is currently working on new renewable energy projects in Romania that add up to 1.16 GW of power generation. That’s more than 10 times the size of the new plant. In addition, the company is developing 730 MWh of battery storage. Batteries are important because they store solar power during the day and release it at night, helping to keep the electricity grid stable. Both of Shikun and Binui’s solar plants in Romania were built by CJR Renewables, a company that handles engineering, procurement and construction for renewable projects. The first plant is in Satu Mare county, right next to Sălaj county. The second one is the new Șimleu Silvaniei site. Two years ago, Raiffeisen Group approved a €49 million loan to help fund the construction of the Șimleu Silvaniei plant. Shikun and Binui Energy focuses on building and running clean energy projects. Its work includes solar farms, solar thermal systems, battery storage, pumped storage, and agrivoltaics — which is when farming and solar panels are used on the same land. The company is part of the larger Shikun and Binui group, which also works in infrastructure and real estate. The group first came to Romania 20 years ago and has been expanding its presence since then. CJR Renewables also shared news about another project it built. A month ago, it said the Iepurești photovoltaic plant southwest of Bucharest, in Giurgiu county, had started testing. That plant is even bigger, with a capacity of 169 MW. Once fully operational, it will add even more solar power to Romania’s grid. Romania has been attracting more investment in solar and wind energy as the country works to cut reliance on fossil fuels and meet EU climate goals. With new plants like Șimleu Silvaniei and Iepurești coming online, and more projects in the pipeline, Romania’s renewable energy sector is growing fast. Shikun and Binui Energy says it plans to keep investing in the country and support Romania’s shift to cleaner, more affordable electricity.