L&T receives Rs329-crore hi-tech equipment orders

Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) has secured four major contracts cumulatively valued at Rs329 million from Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd for their ongoing expansion projects. The orders will be executed by the Company''s Heavy Engineering Division (HED).

One of these contracts is for design, manufacture and supply of two ethylene oxide reactors, involving special tubes made of duplex stainless steel. ethylene oxide reactors are extremely critical part of Mono-Ethylene Glycol unit in a petrochemical plant.

The other contracts are for critical reactors for the diesel hydrotreating units of IOCL and BRPL refineries. These hi-tech reactors, which are in forged construction, are made up of special grade steel, viz., Cr-Mo-V steel of thickness as high as 168mm. Each of these reactors would weigh in the range of 350 MT to 500 MT.

According to M V Kotwal, member of the board and senior executive vice president (heavy engineering), the demand for such critical hi-tech process plant equipment in the country as well as abroad is on the rise. "We are expanding our manufacturing facilities at Hazira in Gujarat to cater to the demand. Currently, our exports account for around 50 per cent of the division''s turnover. We expect this to increase further."

L&T has supplied several critical reactors to refinery majors in US, Canada and Europe and has developed capabilities to design and manufacture the new generation Cr-Mo-V equipment for global markets.