Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL), India’s pump MNC, announces the manufacture of the largest horizontal split-case pump for the Indian market. The order was received from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for the 700 MW power station of Gujarat Pipavav Power Company (GPPC), a subsidiary of the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC). The pump has been successfully tested at Kirloskarvadi in presence of the BHEL team. Of course as is usually the case, KBL has already supplied pumps of the same size in the export markets which are in operation in Portugal and Sudan.
The pump is indeed a monster, weighing about 26 tonnes and is more than 4 meters in height. The pump, model UPH 1200 / 160 M develops a flow of 7000 liters per second at a head of 27.5 meter and will be coupled to an electric motor of 2700 KW running at 425 RPM. Pump casing material is austenitic iron with stainless steel impeller and shaft. The pump is designed for handling sea water and complies to all specified critical requirements of the system.
It boasts of several high technology features with enhanced bearing life, minimal downtime, low maintenance costs and high efficiency resulting in lower energy consumption and leading to lowest life-cycle cost or lowest total cost of ownership.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Ravindra Pande, Vice President and Sector Head, KBL, said, “Technological innovation has always been the key driving force for KBL. I am confident that this will strengthen KBL's leadership position and set a new bench mark for the pump industry. This is the largest horizontal split case pump that we have manufactured for an installation in India.”
