KEC to inaugurate world's largest tower testing station

KEC International, the transmission EPC business arm of the Rs15,000-crore RPG Group, today said that it has set up the world's largest tower testing station, loctaed at Butibori, Nagpur.

The facility will be inaugurated tomorrow, 2 April 2010 by  S K Chaturvedi, chairman and managing director, Power Grid Corporation of India.

The inaugural test tower is to be used in India's first 1200kV transmission line running between Wardha and Aurangabad in Maharashtra.

Ramesh Chandak, managing director and CEO, KEC, said that the new test station would facilitate validation of the largest towers ever designed for the country's futuristic extra high voltage energy network. The EHV line would facilitate evacuation of power through the chicken neck area.

Built over 65,000 sq metres, the test bed can be subjected to compression or uplift load up to 1250 tons and 125 tons of load can be exerted at each of a maximum of 52 points simultaneously on the tower.The tower provides programmable load setting and fully computerized data recording and analysis, with facilities for remote diagnostics.

Costing over Rs 40 crore, the conmpany said the test station is also the most advanced using cutting edge computer technology, SCADA system and PROFIBUS controls.

"The new station is a significant step by the company towards retaining its position as global leader in Power Transmission," KEC said in a statement.

The facility is capable of testing power transmission towers up to 35X35 m base dimensions, upto heights of 100 mettres and voltage ratings up to 1200 kV.