Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), in a release, said that it has dispatched its 42nd nuclear steam generator to Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).
The steam generator, to be installed for a 700-mw unit at NPCIL’s Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP), was flagged off from BHEL’s Trichy plant in the presence of senior officials of BHEL and NPCIL, the release said.
Since 1976
BHEL has been catering to the nation’s nuclear programme since 1976 by way of design, manufacture, testing and supply of critical nuclear components like reactor headers, steam generators, steam turbine generators, other heat exchangers and pressure vessels.
The three stages
BHEL is the only Indian company associated with all the three stages of the Indian Nuclear Power Programme. The three stages are:
- Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR)
- Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR)
- Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR)
First stage attains maturity
The first stage of the indigenous nuclear power program of the country has attained maturity with 18 operating PHWRs. Twelve PHWRs accounting for 74 per cent of the indigenous nuclear power capacity are equipped with BHEL-supplied steam turbine generator sets (10 units of 220 mw each and two units of 540 mw).
Also read: Proud To Be Associated With Raigarh-Pugalur UHVDC Link, Says BHEL
Kaiga sets record
Equipped with BHEL-supplied sets, the 220-mw Unit-1 at the indigenously developed Kaiga Atomic Power Station (KAPS) of NPCIL, had created a world record of continuous operation for 962 days. The complete steam turbine generator set and all the steam generators for the above unit of NPCIL have been manufactured and supplied by BHEL. The unit now stands first amongst all the reactors in the world in terms of uninterrupted operation.
Order Book
According to latest information available, BHEL’s outstanding order book position, as of December 31, 2021, stood at Rs.1,07,058 crore, out of which the power sector accounted for Rs.91,079 crore, or around 85 per cent. The remaining 15 per cent was taken up by the industrial sector, and exports.