BHEL expands footprint in nuclear business

Government-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has secured a prestigious order for erection work of reactor side equipment of 2x1000 MWe at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu being set up in cooperation with Russia.

The Rs 486 crore order has been placed on BHEL by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL). For the same project, BHEL had earlier secured an order for erection work of turbine generator (TG) island. BHEL has also successfully executed the erection work of TG island for units 1 and 2 at Kudankulam.

"It is the first time BHEL is lending its capabilities for erection of reactor side equipment manufactured by another supplier. With this, the company has expanded its footprint in the nuclear sector," it said in a statement.

BHEL is an established engineering, procurement and construction leader for both thermal and nuclear power projects. A total of 12 out of 18 operating pressurised heavy water reactors in the country are equipped with BHEL-supplied steam turbine generator sets, accounting for 74 per cent of the installed capacity.

BHEL is also currently executing turbine generator packages for four units of 700 MWe, two units each at Kakrapar and Rawatbhata in Rajasthan. The company has dedicated infrastructure and skilled manpower to address the special design, manufacturing and testing requirements complying with international codes and standards for various components and equipment of nuclear power plants.

Besides, it has capability as a designer and manufacturer of both primary and secondary side equipment for nuclear power projects and is closely associated in all three stages of the country's nuclear power programme.