L&T inaugurates new manufacturing unit in Saudi Arabia

Mumbai: Engineering firm Larsen & Tubro, today announced that L&T Electricals Saudi Arabia Company Limited (LTESA), has inaugurated its own unit of switchboards manufacturing facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Till now,  LTESA carried out its operations from hired premises.

The LTESA factory at Daimnam Industrial Estate II  is spread over an area of 15000 sq metres, with office and shop floor area comprising 7000 sq metres. The facility has three air conditioned modules for manufacturing, having state-of-the-art powder coating plant, CNC punching machine, CNC bending machine, testing kits and assembly area.

The facility also houses an auditorium, conference hall, library cum recreation hall, dining hall, cloakrooms for workmen and also a prayer room.

The factory  was inaugurated by chief patrons K N Mukhija, president - operations and member of the board of L&T, and  Abdul Aziz Qassim Kanoo, deputy chairman of Saudi Arabia YBA Kanoo. Other senior officials present on the occasion included the directors of LTHSA Board, S C Bhargava, Bader Kanoo and  S K.Mukherjee.

L&T Electricals Saudi Arabia was formed in 2006  as a joint venture between Larsen & Toubro International FZE (LTFZE) and Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo group of companies. The JV,offers a range of high end electrical and automation systems to Saudi Arabia and other markets in the Middle East.

According to L&T, the new unit will engage in design, engineering and manufacturing, solution of conventional and'intelligent power and motor control systems with automation in the Low Voltage (LV) and Medium Voltage (MV) categories, as well as offer project equipment comprising of allied products, to the fast developing, Saudi Arabia's infrastructure, oil and gas, arid industrial sectors.

Speaking on the occasion, Mukhija said, "LTESA is poised to bring L&T closer to customers and offer solutions and service with enhanced efficiency in the fast growing market of Saudi Arabia. I am sure the association between L&T and Kanoo, two prestigious business institutions, will grow beyond business and strengthen the bonds between Saudi Arabia and India."

The inauguration of the LTESA facility comes close on the heels of L&T completing the integration process of the switchgear facilities of Tameo of Malaysia, which it had acquired in October 2007.

L&T in Saudi Arabia
L&T's local joint venture L&T Saudi Arabia LLC has an impressive track record in the infrastructure and energy sectors with completion of the following prestigious Projects:

• Improvement of 69 kV power supply to King Fahad International Airport, Damrnam including, overhead transmission line and remote end substation modification works.
  
• Turnkey construction of 115/13,8 kV substation at Abu Ghanimah, reinforcement works for the 115/13.8 kV Mutayrifi substation and reactive power compensation work for the 115 kV substation in Southern Area at Al Hassa
  
• Power supply to Saudi ARAMCO's Field Development Projects at Qatif and Abu Saiah in Ras Tanura. Turnkey construction of 220/115 kV gas insulated substations at Juaymah and remote end protection and communication modifications at seven sub-stalionE; including Gazlan power plant substation,
  
• Construction of three 100 bed hospitals at Rafha, Domat and Khafji
  
• Civil & Electromechanical works of a 200 bed hospital at Al Dawadrm
  
• Civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works for R3 Skid in Polypropylene Pilot

In addition, L&T's heavy engineering arm has, in association with Saudi Arabian industry, set a record by manufacturing a 104m long product splitter in a single piece along with 8 eatofin reactors. ThU massive 2000 MT consignment was directly shipped from L&Vs works at Hazira on India's western seaboard to the petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia.

The heavy engineering division, ranked among the top five in the world, has supplied several critical high-end equipment to Saudi Arabia such as waste heat boilers, reactors and high pressure heai exchangers since 1994, L&T's Electricals arm has also supplied switchboards and allied products to many critical installations including various paper plants and chemical industries.

The Saudi facility along with Tamco's facilities in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Australia as part of its impressive portfolio marks the global expansion of L&T electricals business and also gives it an opportunity to service some of the fastest growing markets in the Asia Pacific region as well as in the Gulf countries.