BHEL to invest over Rs.3,000 Million to set up Fabrication Plant and Stamping Unit at Jagdishpur; Sh. Rahul Gandhi, MP, lays Foundation Stones for the new units

As part of its manufacturing capacity expansion to 15,000 MW per annum in the next two years, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is setting up a new Fabrication Plant and a Central Stamping Unit at Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh. The new units are being set up by BHEL at a cumulative initial investment of Rs.3,060 Million. This is expected to provide direct and indirect employment to about 1000 persons in the category of Technicians, Supervisors and Engineers.

The foundation stones for both the new units were laid here today by Sh. Rahul Gandhi, Hon’ble Member of Parliament in the presence of Dr. R.C. Panda, Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Sh. Ashok K. Puri, Chairman & Managing Director, BHEL and Board of Directors of BHEL and other dignitaries ,

In his address, Sh. Rahul Gandhi said that BHEL is expanding its capacity of producing power generating equipment in its continuing efforts to powering the progress of the nation and brighten the lives of people of India. He stated that the Govt. has drawn up ambitious plans for adding additional 1,65,000 MW capacities to the power generating base in the country during the XIth and XIIth plans. Sh. Gandhi further said that having done a commendable job in ensuring self-sufficiency in the manufacture of power plant equipment in the country, BHEL is poised to take up the challenge and play a major role in meeting the energy demand of the country.

He further added that India has capable and experienced leadership coupled with dedicated grassroot workers, capable engineers and managers.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Sh. Ashok K. Puri, CMD, BHEL said that since Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision of setting up BHEL and the mandate to make the country Self Reliant in Power Plant Equipment manufacture, the company has grown in stature in both domestic and international markets and has brought many laurels to the country. Company’s contribution has crossed 1,00,000 MW this year covering both domestic and export markets, in addition to supplying over 25,000 nos. electrical motors, 70,000 nos. traction machines and over 3,00,000 MVA transformer capacity from its plants. BHEL has also earned a name for itself in international markets by exporting its products/systems/services to over 70 countries. He assured the leaders present on the occasion that BHEL is ready to meet any challenge posed by the power sector in the country. Sh. Puri also said that the domestic capability must be nurtured in future too when the country is embarking upon an ambitious nuclear power generation programme.

Addressing the gathering, Dr R.C.Panda, Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises said that Capacity addition in power generation is one of the topmost priorities of the Govt of India. He was confident that BHEL’s proposal to establish these centralized facilities for meeting vital aspects of power plant equipment manufacture will ensure speedy execution of country’s Power Projects.

The Fabrication Plant is being set up to meet the burgeoning requirement of fabricated components and assemblies required by BHEL’s major units at Bhopal, Haridwar, Hyderabad and Trichy, in view of the company’s capacity augmentation to 15,000 MW. The plant will produce around 25,000 MT per annum including about 16,000 MT of structures for Boilers for direct dispatch to power plant sites in the eastern and northern regions.

The plant shall start functioning from the third quarter of the second year and will become fully functional in three years. A financial turnover of about Rs.2,700 Million is envisaged for the plant in the stabilized year of production.

The Central Stamping Unit is being set up to meet the increased requirement of stampings, a critical part of electrical machines, due to the growth in business and market demand for Generators and Electrical Motors. Presently stampings are being manufactured in the Bhopal, Hyderabad and Haridwar units of BHEL with a total installed capacity of about 77 lakh stampings per annum. The demand for stampings is estimated to go up to 130 lakh per year by 2010-11, for which a centralised unit is being set up to to get the benefit of economy of scale by setting up highly productive, state-of-the-art facilities. The new unit will have a capacity to manufacture 130 lakh stampings per year. The plants are expected to provide opportunities for development of Ancillary Industry and support services in the Region.

BHEL already has an Insulator Plant (IP) at Jagdishpur, which was inaugurated in March 1984 by the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. The Unit was set up to meet the requirement of Insulators and support the country’s endeavour for meeting the challenges in power distribution and transmission.