22-Nov-2010

BHEL joins hands with GE for Water Treatment Systems

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and GE India Industrial Private Limited (GEIIPL), a 100% owned subsidiary of GE, USA, have joined hands for cooperation on Water Treatment Equipment.

To this effect, a Manufacturing Associate Agreement was signed by Mr. B.P. Rao, CMD, BHEL, on behalf of BHEL and by Mr. John Flannery, President and CEO, GE-India, on behalf of GEIIPL, in the presence of functional directors of BHEL and other senior officers from BHEL and GE.

As per the agreement, BHEL and GEIIPL will jointly engineer and supply water treatment solutions for the Indian market. Over the term of the agreement, through joint working, BHEL will acquire the capability to address large water treatment systems based on GE Products, on its own.

Availability of fresh water is increasingly becoming scarce. Consequently, power utilities and industries are required to necessarily recycle waste water or treat sea/brackish water to meet their requirement without depending on natural sources of fresh water. This trend is expected to generate a huge demand for water treatment equipment.

According to the Global Water Market 2011, the demand for water treatment systems in India over 2011-15, for power generation, potable water and waste water treatment would stand at approximately Rs.180,000 Million. Out of this, the power sector alone would require water treatment systems worth Rs.80,000 Million.

This partnership with GE would help BHEL provide more cost-effective membrane-based water treatment systems for boiler make up water, services water and potable water, required in power plants for all type of input water like sea water, brackish water and waste water. These systems would also find application in the industrial sector for meeting process water requirement. The rich experience and expertise of GE in the industrial sector would complement BHEL’s efforts in addressing this market.

The agreement covers membrane-based technologies like Reverse Osmosis, Ultra Filtration, Electrodialysis and Electrodeionisation which will enable BHEL to offer more value added products to its customers. The water desalination products covered under the agreement shall be used for power plants (non-nuclear), industrial application, potable water and municipal desalination plants.

BHEL is the largest engineering enterprise of its kind in India and one of the foremost companies in the international power arena. While its core competence is in the power sector, it also caters to other core sectors like; Industry, Transportation, Transmission, Oil & Gas, Defence and Renewable Energy. Its diverse manufacturing base supported by contemporary and unique manufacturing facilities gives it a competitive edge.