BHEL achieves new landmarks; Exceeds CEA’s commissioning targets in fiscal 2004-05

During the last financial year (2004-05), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has achieved 110% of CEA’s target of commissioning by adding 3548 MW to the national grid. This was made possible because of the advanced commissioning of a 500 MW unit (Rihand 3), not in the CEA’s plan for that period. With this the company has once again demonstrated its capability and commitment to providing maximum value to its customers

Significantly, 90% of coal-based sets added in the country during the year were of BHEL make, while 80% of hydro MW addition and 79% of diesel-based MW addition was contributed by BHEL sets.

Even during the current fiscal, BHEL is fully geared up to add 30 coal, hydro, nuclear and gas-based sets aggregating to 3712 MW to the country’s generating capacity.

In addition, during this period, 73% of electric energy generated by utilities in the country from coal, nuclear and hydro based units was contributed by BHEL make sets, even though BHEL-sets constitute only 65% of the total generating capacity.

BHEL also created a new benchmark in execution of thermal power projects, with the synchronization of the 500 MW (unit 7) at NTPC’s Ramagundam STPS in a record time of just 36 months and 10 days, nearly three months ahead of schedule. This resulted in substantial saving for the customer in terms of the cost of the project and additional generation of power.

Similarly, BHEL created another national record in the turnkey execution of thermal power projects last year, by commissioning the 2x250 MW Tau Devi Lal Thermal Power Station of Haryana Power Generation corporation Limited in just 34 months. Also a new benchmark was set with the commissioning of both the units within a span of only 4 months.

It is worth mentioning that even one month’s advance commissioning of a 500 MW unit results in an approximate saving of about Rs.75 Crore to the utility.

In order to cope with the country’s ambitious target capacity addition in the 11th and 12th plan, BHEL is gearing up to enhance its equipment manufacturing capacity from present 6,000 MW to 10,000 MW annually by March, 2007. This should enable the company to play a major role in power generating capacity addition programme of the country.