Solar Open Access for MP Industrial Clusters: Pithampur, Dewas, Mandideep

How to read this page

Three questions decide whether a cluster fits. Is the typical unit connected at 33 kV or above, so that the wheeling charge is ₹0.17 rather than ₹0.69 per unit? Does the dominant industry run in daytime, so that solar hours match consumption without leaning on the 30% banking cap? And is contracted demand generally above 1 MW, so that a third-party or group captive structure clears the threshold? Charges are from the MPERC FY2026-27 tariff order; the cluster descriptions are our field reading and should be checked against your own bill.

Pithampur (Dhar), MPPKVVCL West

The largest industrial area in the state: automotive, auto components, pharma, engineering and FMCG across Sectors 1–3 and the SEZ. Many units are 33 kV HV-3.1 consumers with 1–10 MW of contracted demand and two-shift operations, which is the profile group captive was designed for. Pharma and auto-component plants with continuous processes carry high load factors, which puts them into the lower energy-charge band above 50% load factor, so the comparison must be made against that lower band, not the headline tariff. Free bill reading for a Pithampur plant takes 24 working hours.

Dewas, MPPKVVCL West

Soya processing, textiles, pharma and engineering in the Industrial Area and the newer Dewas SEZ pockets. Seasonal load is the feature here: solvent extraction plants run hard in the crushing season and idle for months. A solar PPA with take-or-pay against an idle plant is a mistake; a group captive share sized to the base load, with banking absorbing seasonal surplus within the 30% cap, is the structure to look at.

Indore: Sanwer Road, Palda, Rau-Pithampur corridor

Smaller units, more 11 kV connections, more single-shift operations. At 11 kV the wheeling charge alone is ₹0.69 per unit, and many units are under 1 MW. For most Sanwer Road units the honest answer is a rooftop or behind-the-meter plant rather than open access, and we say so. Exceptions are the larger food processing and packaging plants with 33 kV feeds.

Mandideep (Raisen), MPMKVVCL

Textiles, engineering, food and pharma near Bhopal. A mix of 33 kV and 132 kV connections; the EHT-connected units are attractive because wheeling does not apply and only transmission charges remain. Textile spinning is continuous and night-heavy, so plant sizing needs the banking arithmetic in our banking explainer.

Malanpur and Banmore (Gwalior-Bhind), MPMKVVCL

FMCG, pharma, glass and packaging. Several large 33 kV and 132 kV consumers with steady daytime load. Distance from the Nimar and Malwa solar belt matters less than it looks: intra-state transmission charges are the same across the state, so a plant in Barwani can supply a consumer in Malanpur on the same terms as one in Dewas.

Meghnagar (Jhabua) and the Nimar belt: Barwani, Khargone, Khandwa, Sendhwa

Chemicals and pharma intermediates at Meghnagar; cotton ginning, oil mills, dal mills and cold storage across Nimar. Most ginning and milling units are under 1 MW and seasonal, which puts them outside third-party open access. The larger chemical units at Meghnagar are 33 kV consumers with continuous processes and fit well. This is also where our solar land is, so a Nimar consumer gets the shortest wheeling path in the state.

The pattern

Cluster	Typical voltage	Typical load	Fit
Pithampur	33 kV, some 132 kV	1–10 MW, two-shift	Strong, group captive
Dewas	33 kV	Seasonal	Good, base-load sizing
Indore Sanwer Road	11 kV	Under 1 MW	Weak, rooftop instead
Mandideep	33 / 132 kV	Continuous, night-heavy	Good, mind banking
Malanpur	33 / 132 kV	Steady daytime	Strong
Meghnagar	33 kV	Continuous	Strong
Nimar ginning and milling	11 kV	Seasonal, under 1 MW	Weak, except large units

If your plant is in one of these clusters, the fastest way to find out which row you are in is to send 12 months of bills. The reading names the cluster, the voltage, the applicable charges and the structure we would recommend.

Questions on this topic

Is open access solar viable for Pithampur industries?

Generally yes. Most Pithampur units are 33 kV HV-3.1 consumers with 1 to 10 MW of contracted demand and two-shift operations, which suits a group captive structure that avoids CSS and additional surcharge. Continuous-process plants should compare against the lower energy charge band above 50% load factor.

Can a Sanwer Road unit in Indore use open access solar?

Usually not. Most units there are 11 kV connections under 1 MW, where the Rs 0.69 per kWh wheeling charge and fixed compliance costs remove the saving. A rooftop or behind-the-meter plant is normally the better route.

Open access solar across Madhya Pradesh's industrial clusters: where the economics work