BHEL bags TN nuclear plant contract

State-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) today announced it has bagged a contract for supplying equipment for a 500 MW nuclear power plant at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, being set up by Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam (BNVL).

"Under international competitive bidding, we have bagged a contract for the turbine generator and secondary side equipment for the first Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor of 500 MWe rating," BHEL said in a statement.

The unit is scheduled for commissioning during the 11th Five-Year Plan.

In the 1,080 MWe nuclear power plant at Tarapur in Maharashtra BHEL had supplied the equipment and commissioned the project.

BHEL played a major role in this project belonging to the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor family by commissioning these units (2x540 MWe) that are the single largest rating power generating units of any type operating in the country.

The PSU has been a major partner in Nuclear Power Corporation of India's (NPCIL) vision to achieve self-reliance in nuclear energy. Its association with NPCIL began in 1970 with the development of technology and manufacture of prototype channel covers and heavy water headers, the company said.

The company is also gearing up for manufacturing equipment for higher capacity nuclear sets of 700 MWe and higher ratings in view of the substantial nuclear capacity expansion envisaged in the country based on such sets.