Areva T&D India awarded €35-million contract for the Bhilai Steel plant

Power equipment supplier Areva T&D India supply new power equipment and control systems and revamp earlier ones at SAIL's Bhilai Steel Plant, in a deal valued at €35 million.

The contract includes a 132kV gas- and air-insulated substations and the complete revamping of the existing protection and control system and laying 132 KV feeder transmission cables at the new sub stations. Areva will also provide the control and monitoring system for the existing substations. This project is scheduled for completion by October, 2010.

Rathin Basu, country president and managing director of AREVA T&D, India, said, ''The transmission and distribution market in India is booming at almost 20 per cent per year. Through this project, we significantly increase our presence in the Steel Sector, allowing us to demonstrate our state-of-the-art technology.''

Bhilai Steel Plant is widely regarded as among the best integrated steel plants in the country and produces rails, heavy steel plates and major producer of structural steel. The plant is the sole supplier of the country's longest rail tracks of 260 meters with an annual production capacity of 3.153 MT of saleable steel.

Areva is a recognised global leader covering all aspects of in nuclear power and with the signing of the Indo-French nuclear agreement (See: India, France sign civil nuclear cooperation agreement) it expects to ramp up its presence in India to make EPR reactors and expects large orders for nuclear equipment supply and construction in the country.

Areva T&D employs over 3500 people in India and has 8 manufacturing units and 22 sales offices. The company was the first to build the 765 kV Sub-station in India with NTPC at SIPAT, Chhattisgarh and in July successfully type-tested its first 1,200 KV capacitor voltage transformer unit in the country, for ultra high voltage applications. This unit will be installed in the PGCIL sub-station at Bina in Madhya Pradesh slated for commissioning by 2009.

The company's shares were split today, every 1 (one) existing equity share of Rs10, fully paid up, is subdivided into 5 (five) equity shares of Rs 2/- each fully paid up. The share was quoted at Rs 183 on the Bombay Stock Exchange.