Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has achieved another milestone with the commissioning of the second 800 MW supercritical boiler at Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Plant (SDSTPP) at Krishnapatnam in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh.

Significantly, this is the second 800 MW rating and also the highest rating (800 MW) indigenous boiler to be commissioned in the country. The first 800 MW boiler was commissioned earlier by BHEL at the same project on 28th August, 2014.

The commissioning of the two 800 MW boilers at Krishnapatnam is an important development for the country seeking to achieve self reliance in the field of contemporary, state-of-the-art supercritical technology and demonstrates BHEL's capability in the area of supercritical technology. Supercritical technology is expected to lower coal consumption and eco-friendly and efficient power generation.

BHEL’s scope of work in the project envisaged is expected to comprise of manufacturing, supplying, erecting, testing and commissioning of the boilers and associated auxiliaries including electrostatic precipitators (ESPs). The key equipment for the project, has been manufactured by BHEL at its Trichy, Hyderabad, Ranipet and Bengaluru plant, construction of which was undertaken by the company's Power Sector - Southern Region.

BHEL has so far contracted 36 sets of supercritical boilers out of which 4 boilers have been commissioned and the rest are in various stages of execution. These orders include orders from Central and State sectors as well as private sector developers. To keep abreast of the latest technologies in thermal power generation, BHEL has already taken up the indigenous development of the Advanced Ultra Supercritical (AUSC) technology with NTPC and IGCAR.

Shares of the company declined Rs 3.4, or 1.45%, to trade at Rs 231.55. The total volume of shares traded was 193,336 at the BSE (12.47 p.m., Wednesday).