A 5 MW solar power project at Panmandwadi in Pune district’s Khed taluka was commissioned under the Chief Minister Solar Agricultural Feeder Scheme, with the project expected to provide daytime electricity for agricultural pumps serving 2,504 farmers under the Kadus substation.
The project was inaugurated online on Wednesday by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who pressed a button during the opening of the Rajgurunagar Cooperative Bank’s 20th branch at Chakan. Pawar said solar projects being developed under the scheme would provide daytime power for agriculture and support improvements in farmers’ living standards.
The Panmandwadi project has been developed by Avaada at an estimated cost of Rs 20.75 crore. Electricity generated at the facility will be transmitted through an approximately 5.8-kilometre-long 11 kV line to the 33 kV Kadus substation. The locally generated power will be used to supply agricultural pumps, according to details shared at the inauguration.
The Kadus substation currently serves 8,643 electricity consumers, including 2,504 agricultural consumers. The project therefore covers the agricultural connections attached to the substation, while the substation continues to serve a wider base of domestic, commercial and other users.
The commissioning comes as the substation prepares for additional capacity to meet rising electricity demand. Work is under way to install an additional 5 MVA high-voltage transformer at Kadus. Once completed, the substation’s total capacity is expected to increase to 15 MVA.
The daytime supply model is intended to address a long-standing operational requirement for agricultural consumers: access to electricity for irrigation during daylight hours. By connecting a local solar generation facility to the existing distribution network, the Panmandwadi project links renewable generation with a specific agricultural feeder and substation rather than supplying power only through a broad regional grid arrangement.
The project also places additional importance on the performance of the associated transmission and distribution infrastructure. The 5.8-kilometre 11 kV line must carry the generated electricity to Kadus, while the substation’s transformer capacity is being expanded to handle demand across its service area. The reported benefits for agricultural consumers will therefore depend on the project being integrated with these network assets and operated as planned.
The inauguration was attended by MLA Babaji Kale, former MLA Dilipanna Mohite Patil and Manisha Gore, president of the Chakan municipal council. Officials from Mahavitaran included Pune regional chief engineer Dnyandev Padalkar, Pune Rural Circle superintendent engineer Suresh Sawairam and executive engineer Keshav Kalumali. Avaada representatives Fatehsingh and Murtuza Qazi were also present, along with residents from surrounding areas.
The next operational milestone is the completion of the additional 5 MVA transformer at the Kadus substation. The project details released at the inauguration did not specify a separate schedule for that work.
