BHEL-Alstom Consolidates Indian Nuclear Power Status with $350 Million Contract

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Alstom S.A. (Paris, France) continues to secure equipment orders in India's nuclear power sector. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has awarded a $350 million contract to an Alstom-Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BSE:500103) (BHEL) (New Delhi) consortium for the supply of two 700-megawatt (MW) steam turbines for units 7 and 8 at the Rawatbhata nuclear power station in Rajasthan. BHEL's share in the contract is about $220 million, with the balance of about $130 million going to Alstom.

The contract marks a significant development for BHEL, as the equipment will be the highest-rated indigenously developed nuclear sets in India. The BHEL-Alstom consortium will supply and commission the turbine generator packages for the two units.

Alstom reported that this order follows the two 700-MW steam turbines for units 3 and 4 that were supplied for the 220-MW Kakrapar plant in Gujarat in 2011.

BHEL and Alstom will manufacture and supply the steam turbines and the complete generator, moisture separator reheater and condenser, including complete erection and commissioning for the turbine generator. NPCIL has awarded an additional contract to BHEL for the supply and installation of controls and instrumentation for the turbine island secondary cycle system for the Rajasthan project.

Alstom's first contract for NPCIL was for units 1 and 2 at the Rajasthan nuclear plant in 1973 and 1981. This was followed by a contract to supply technology, through BHEL, to the Kakrapar plant.

BHEL has designed, manufactured and commissioned about 69% of NPCIL's installed capacity of 4,780 MW in India. The company also has supplied 3,280 MW of state-of-the-art power generation of various ratings to nuclear power plants. The company is currently supplying eight steam generator packages to NPCIL for reactors at Kakrapar and Rawatbhata.

The company is also executing a contract for the supply, erection and commissioning of the complete conventional island for the first prototype 500-MW fast breeder reactor that is being built by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Limited at Kalpakkam, in Tamil Nadu.

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