GE Power’s Steam Power business has won twin boiler equipment contracts from India’s Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) for thermal power projects located at Patratu and Udangudi in the Indian states of Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu, respectively.
Image: A coal-fired power plant. Photo: courtesy of Keith Syvinski/Freeimages.com.
Under the contracts, with a combined value of $72.4m, GE will be responsible for supplying and installing pressure parts for the Patratu project; and onshore supply for Udangudi thermal power projects.
GE Power India managing director Andrew DeLeone said: “This is a key milestone in our partnership with BHEL on supercritical boiler technology for thermal power plants.
“GE’s advanced supercritical technology power equipment are fully compliant with the most stringent environmental norms. It also helps in achieving about 3-4% higher plant efficiency compared to conventional subcritical design.
“For a country like India, where coal is and will remain the energy mainstay for a long time, GE’s state-of-the-art technology can play a major role in making the thermal power plants efficient and environment friendly. GE and BHEL’s collaboration makes both company’s stronger.”
BHEL is carrying out an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a Phase I expansion of Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Nigam’s (PVUNL) 2,400MW supercritical thermal power station at Patratu.
The company is also responsible for the first stage of a proposed 1,320MW supercritical thermal power plant at Udangudi. The project is being developed for Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO).
The units 1 and 2 of the Udangudi project are expected to be commissioned by June 2021, while Patratu plant’s Unit 1, 2 and 3 are scheduled to be commissioned by March 2022, September 2022 and March 2023, respectively.
The two projects are expected to significantly contribute to the country’s efforts produce clean and eco-friendly power.
GE plans to source the equipment, including pressure parts for the two projects from its manufacturing facility located in the state of West Bengal.
Upon commissioning, the two projects are expected to generate power required to power nearly ten million homes in the country.
GE Power’s Steam Power business is a licensor for Once-Through-Boiler technology for the BHEL.