BHEL commissions 500 MW Unit at Rihand Super Thermal Power Project

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has achieved a major milestone in the execution of mega power projects with the commissioning of the fifth 500 MW unit at NTPC’s Rihand Super Thermal Power Station (STPS) Stage II, in Uttar Pradesh. With this, 12 million units of electricity will be added to the grid of the power deficit state, every day.

BHEL has earlier commissioned all the four 500 MW units at the power project. With the commissioning of the fifth unit, the cumulative generating capacity of Rihand STPS has gone up to 2,500 MW (5x500 MW).

Significantly, this is the fourth 500 MW unit commissioned by BHEL for NTPC in the past three months. Similar sets have also been commissioned at NTPC’s projects at Vallur, Simhadri and Mauda.

The Main Plant Package contract for the 2x500 MW Rihand STPS - Stage III was placed on BHEL by NTPC, reflecting the customer's confidence in BHEL's capabilities in the execution of power projects of this magnitude.

BHEL’s scope of work in the contract envisaged design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of two Steam Generator and Turbine Generator sets of 500 MW each, with associated auxiliaries and state-of-the-art Controls & Instrumentation (C&I).

The Steam Generators and Turbine Generators were manufactured at the company’s Trichy and Haridwar plants respectively, while the C&I system was supplied by BHEL’s Electronics Division, Bangalore. The company’s Hyderabad plant manufactured the Boiler Feed Pumps & Heat Exchangers and the Electricals were supplied by BHEL's Bhopal and Jhansi plants.

For NTPC, BHEL is presently executing contracts at Barh (2x660 MW), Jhajjar (1x500 MW), Vallur (2x500 MW), Rihand (1x500 MW), Mauda (1x500 MW), Vindhyachal (2x500 MW), Bongaigaon (3x250 MW), Muzaffarpur (2x195 MW) and Nabinagar (4x250 MW).

BHEL has fully established state-of-the-art technology for manufacture of thermal sets up to 600 MW rating in the sub-critical range and has the capability to manufacture sets up to 1,000 MW rating. The company has also equipped itself to produce 660 MW / 700 MW / 800 MW thermal sets with supercritical parameters, and is shoring up its capability for higher rating Hydro sets and advanced class Gas Turbines to cater to upcoming market requirements.

BHEL has been committed to the nation’s power development programme and has reaffirmed its commitment to the Indian Power Sector by equipping itself by way of contemporary technology, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and skilled technical manpower. Significantly, the company has established the capability to deliver power plant equipment of 20,000 MW per annum.