BHEL to use gas insulated substation technology at Bhopal Plant
By Our Corporate Bureau | 05 Apr 2007
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), plans to develop 765kv substations by using sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) gas insulation at it's Bhopal plant. The company will use gas insulated substations technology for the higher capacity transformers. The company also plans to increase its capacity to manufacture transformers from its existing 15,000mva to 30,000 mva.
RK Singh, executive director, BHEL, said, "A live model of 765kv substation is ready and we are also working on 1200kv transformers. We will be able to start production of 765kv substations soon". The Bhopal plant expects to invest Rs 160 crore for increasing the capacity.
BHEL's Bhopal unit has projected a turnover of Rs 2,750 crore in 2007, up from Rs 2,286 crore in 2006.
Higher capacity transformers help reduce the transmission cost in various sectors, including the railways. Due to non-availability of high voltage transmission cables the Indian power sector uses 220kv substations.
Power Grid Corporation Ltd last year placed an order with ABB for supplying extra-high-voltage transformers (400 kv) and shunt reactors to be installed at Seoni substation in Madhya Pradesh to transmit power from the new 3,000 MW Sipat (Chhattisgarh) power plant.
Also, Universal Cables Ltd, a MP Birla group company based at Madhya Pradesh has recently set up a unit to manufacture XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) cables for 400 kv power transmission. These high capacity transmission cables are currently being imported into the country.
