Bhel bags $457 mn Sudan power deal

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has bagged a $457-million contract to set up a 500-Mw steam power plant in Sudan. The plant will be commissioned for the National Electricity Corporation (NEC) and will be completed by 2009.

"This is the single-largest export order secured by Bhel so far and also the largest value order for any capital goods manufacturing company in India," the company said in a statement.

The contract involves installing four units "" each of 125 Mw - of crude oil-fired boilers, steam turbines, generators, control systems and 220 KV switchyard and auxiliaries for the Kosti power plant. The plant may later be expanded to 3,000 Mw.

"On completion, this will be the single largest power project in Sudan," the statement said. The Indian government has given a concessional line of credit of $350 million through the Exim Bank for the Kosti plant.

Bhel will manufacture steam turbine, generators and pumps at its Hyderabad plant, while boilers and electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) will be manufactured at the company's Trichy and Ranipet plants, respectively. Bhel's Bhopal and Jhansi plants will supply the transformer switchgear and control panels for the project.

The project engineering management group of Bhel will be responsible for the plant's engineering. The overseas project group of Bhel's international operations division will handle project management.