First-of-a-kind turbine order for BHEL
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has won an order to supply India's highest rated indigenously developed nuclear turbine generator sets for the forthcoming two reactors at the Kakrapar nuclear power plant.
Two contracts awarded by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) to a consortium of BHEL and Alstom cover the supply and installation of turbogenerator packages for Kakrapar 3 and 4, India's first indigenously designed 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors.
The contracts are worth over INR 16,000 million ($360 million), with BHEL's share representing around INR 8000 million ($198 million). The first contract covers the supply of the actual turbine generator packages, while the second covers associated services. BHEL and Alstom will jointly manufacture and supply the steam turbines, while BHEL will manufacture and supply the generator, moisture separator reheater and condenser, as well as undertaking the complete erection and commissioning of the turbine generator package.
In addition, NPCIL has awarded BHEL a third contract worth INR 400 million ($9 million) to supply and install control and instrumentation kit for the secondary cycle system of the turbine island at the project.
Work formally started on Kakrapar 3 and 4 in November 2010, when the first concrete was poured. The units are scheduled to start up in 2015 and 2016 respectively, and form part of India's plans to increase its nuclear generation capacity to 20,000 MWe by 2020.
BHEL lays claim to being India's largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise in the field of energy related infrastructure. Contracts it is currently undertaking for NPCIL include supplying eight steam generator packages for one of the new Kakrapar units and another 700 MWe plant to be built at Rajasthan. It is also supplying, constructing and commissioning the complete conventional island for the 500 MWe prototype fast breeder reactor being built at Kalpakkam.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
