THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BALESHWAR, JULY 22, 2026

In a significant boost to Odisha’s rural power infrastructure and clean energy transition, a 2 MW solar power plant has been successfully integrated into TP Northern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPNODL)’s distribution network at the 33/11 kV Primary Substation (PSS) in the Bahalda Section of the Rairangpur Division in Mayurbhanj district.

The solar facility was inaugurated by TPNODL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dushyant Kumar Tyagi, in the presence of Krishna Chandra Mandal, senior TPNODL officials, representatives of M/s Slnko Pvt. Ltd., and other regional stakeholders.

Spread across six acres, the solar plant has been established under the Government of India’s flagship PM-KUSUM-A Scheme by Krishna Chandra Mandal, a landowner from Basingi village in Bahalda block of Mayurbhanj district. The project has been developed on a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) basis by M/s Slnko Pvt. Ltd.

Under the scheme, Mandal has entered into a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with GRIDCO and TPNODL. The arrangement provides a stable, multi-decade revenue stream for his family through the sale of solar power, transforming him from a traditional farmer into a solar entrepreneur.

The plant is expected to generate around 8,000 units of electricity per day under optimal conditions. The entire power output will be injected into the TPNODL network through a dedicated 11 kV line. Located at the tail end of the distribution feeder, the project is expected to strengthen grid stability, improve power quality, and benefit nearly 5,000 consumers in the surrounding areas while advancing Odisha’s clean energy goals.

Expressing his appreciation, Mandal said that the project would provide his family with sustainable, long-term secondary income while ensuring reliable power supply to the local community.

In his remarks, TPNODL CEO Dushyant Kumar Tyagi stated that decentralized renewable energy generation remains essential to driving India’s progress toward a resilient and sustainable energy grid. He emphasized that integrating solar capacity directly at the distribution level reduces dependence on conventional energy sources, facilitates clean energy adoption, minimizes transmission losses, and enhances local grid performance. He further noted that such projects offer a scalable blueprint for state-wide clean energy development.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM)-A Scheme, spearheaded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), enables farmers and landowners to establish grid-connected solar power plants with capacities ranging from 500 kW to 2 MW on barren or agricultural land. Besides creating a steady source of long-term income through power sales to state utilities, the scheme promotes decentralized generation at the distribution level, reducing transmission losses, addressing low-voltage issues in remote areas, and improving daytime power availability for domestic and agricultural consumers.