Gec Alsthom Decides To Produce Oil Ring Units

The company was negotiating with CESC, DESU, BSES, BEST and Tata Electric Company for a total revamp of power distribution systems with ring main units in Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta, earlier this year. It is understood that talks had failed because none of these power distribution companies were willing to take up such a project which requires investment on a major scale.

However, GEC Alsthom has decided to go ahead with the production of the ring main units on test basis. "Ring main units is all set to emerge as an accepted transmission and distribution mode in India, as in the developed world.

 

It is the only way power companies can cut down their transmission and distribution losses and improve their profitability margins," said Ramesh Daga, chairman and managing director of GEC Alsthom India. It is believed that through ring main units, transmission and distribution losses can be cut down to about 10 per cent.

The investment for installing the system in Calcutta would come to around Rs 200 crore and in Mumbai it would cost Rs 400 crore at a minimum

level. GEC Alsthom proposes to bring in special technology which has got worldwide approval to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

This can be achieved by shifting from network connecting single units to one which connects units laid out mainly in ring formations.

Under the present technology, if a single link in the network unit is broken, power supply in the remaining systems will be interrupted.

When the units are in ring formation, the breakdown in the chain between any two given units does not affect the power supply to other units.

Apart from the continuous power flow, the new system reduces maintenance cost by 90 per cent.

The ring main units system can also cut down operating cost by 15 per cent.In the beginning, GEC Alsthom proposal entails installing the ring main units in selected parts of two cities on test basis.