Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has achieved another milestone by successfully commissioning one more 600 MW thermal unit in Chhattisgarh. The unit was commissioned at Jindal Power (JPL)'s upcoming 4x600 MW thermal power project located at Tamnar in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh. This is the third 600 MW unit of the project to be commissioned by BHEL.

The first two units of 600 MW each were commissioned in March, 2014. With the commissioning of this unit, BHEL has added 3,500 MW capacity in the state of Chhattisgarh in 2014 alone. For the same customer, BHEL has also earlier successfully executed 4 units of 250 MW each at OP Jindal Super Thermal Power Plant (STPP) at Raigarh.

BHEL's scope of work in the contract includes design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of Steam Turbines, Generators and Boilers, along with associated Auxiliaries and Electricals, besides state-of-the-art Controls & Instrumentation (C&I) and Electrostatic Precipitators (ESPs). Notably, this in-house engineered 4-cylinder 600 MW rating TG set establishes the engineering prowess of BHEL.

The company has so far contracted 21 sets of 600 MW sets, out of which nine have already been commissioned. These sets have a very high level of indigenisation. A large number of similar sets ensures easy availability of spares and operator's familiarity.

The 500 MW sets of this rating class, supplied earlier by BHEL, today form the backbone of the Indian power sector and have been performing much above the national average as well as international benchmarks. Following the Electricity Act 2003, resulting in the entry of private players in a big way, BHEL has received orders from a large number of private developers like Tata Power, Jinal India Thermal Power (JITPL), Jaypee group, Hinduja National Power Corporation (HNPCL), Dainik Bhaskar Group, Bajaj Hindustan Ltd, Monnet Power Company (MPCL), Avantha Group, etc., besides Jindal Power Ltd (JPL). Presently, about 85 utility sets aggregating to more than 20,000 MW, of private sector developers are in various stages of execution by BHEL.

BHEL supplied thermal sets fully meet the performance standards notified by CEA. As per a recent CEA study on the performance of sub-critical sets in the country, BHEL supplied sets have demonstrated a better operating Heat rate resulting in less coal consumption per unit of power produced.

Shares of the company declined Rs 1.15, or 0.45%, to trade at Rs 256.45. The total volume of shares traded was 92,143 at the BSE (11.36 a.m., Friday).