It is imperative to keep innovating: Hartek Group

The Chandigarh-headquartered Hartek Group, founded in 1991, operates through five major business groups—power systems, solar solutions, power distribution, fuel services and value-added services. In this interaction with T&D India, Simarpreet Singh, Director-Strategy, Hartek Group, discusses the current operations and future plans of Hartek Group’s power distribution products manufacturing business. To cater to the needs of the rapidly growing power distribution industry, power distribution products need to be upgraded constantly, feels Simarpreet Singh.

Please discuss Hartek Group’s competency in the field of power distribution products, mainly LV/HV switchgear panels.

Offering the widest range of high-voltage products in the northern region, Hartek India Pvt Ltd, our manufacturing division, has so far supplied high-tension and low-tension switchboard panels for more than 200 substation projects. With Schneider Electric providing its technology in terms of fully-tested switchgear, Hartek-Schneider panels have become the preferred choice of many clients today. We have also partnered with Schneider to source a vacuum circuit breaker. Our high-voltage panels and control relay panels have gained wide acceptance across the industry and utilities ever since their introduction six years ago.

Hartek India has also introduced a 33kV medium-voltage switchboard panel. The company has been manufacturing medium-voltage panels up to 11kV with Schneider providing the switchgear technology, but 33kV was a big challenge, considering the higher voltage and more sophistication in technology. The 33kV Hartek-Schneider panel is a state-of-the-art product with fully type-tested results. It employs the latest technologies and safety measures as per global standards.

The major demand for our high-voltage and low-voltage switchgear panels comes from utilities, industries and power plants.

It is this product quality that has helped the company bag several 33kV panel orders. Hartek India’s hi-tech manufacturing and in-house design facility at Mohali (in Punjab) where these panels are made, is equipped with one of the world’s best testing facilities. Incidentally, Hartek India is the only manufacturer of 33kV panels in the northern region.

Control Relay Protection (CRP) panels are also a big strength of the company. We have supplied an entire range of 11kV, 33kV, 66kV, 132kV and 220kV CRP panels. We also manufacture high-tension switchboards as per clients’ requirements.  The products engineered, manufactured and supplied by us have gained acceptance from several experts in the field of power systems.

 

Does Hartek Group usually undertake power distribution contracts associated with solar power projects only?

The major demand for our high-voltage and low-voltage switchgear panels comes from utilities, industries and power plants. Hartek India has supplied switchgear panels to more than 1 GW of solar projects. Apart from this, Hartek-make panels have been installed across the country in hospitals, colleges, industries and power plants.

We have seen influx of Chinese switchgear in India in recent years.

When it comes to selection of switchgear used in panels, is it usually specified by the project owner or can a contractor use his discretion?

The arrangement varies from project to project. Developers with whom we share a long association leave the choice to us—rest assured that we will use only best-in-class products. The trust that we have earned over the years is an outcome of our uncompromising quality standards. Some project owners, however, are very particular about the product and design specifications. We cater to them by customizing the products and designs according to their requirements. We love bringing more value to our clients and the industry as a whole.

 

We observe that leading switchgear suppliers are typically Siemens, ABB, Schneider, L&T, etc. Do you see the emergence of Chinese switchgear in recent years?

Yes, the switchgear market in India is dominated by a handful of players, particularly multinationals, but there is a lot of scope for smaller companies which have gone for a wide product portfolio, competitive pricing and a strong network of system integrators and panel builders. These companies are creating the conditions for fierce but healthy competition by widening their reach and investing in R&D to introduce new products.

We have seen influx of Chinese switchgear in India in recent years. The Chinese switchgear market has grown rapidly over the years, and Chinese manufacturers are looking to tap the Indian market in a big way. However, they will face stiff competition from the well-entrenched multinationals and local players.

 

What are some of the prevalent safety standards in switchgear panels? Do you think these standards are adhered to?

Modern switchgear panels are being widely manufactured as per international standards in accordance with the IEC-61850 communication protocol, which is compatible to SCADA applications. They are fully tested as per IEC 62271-100-200 standards. Switchgear panels manufactured in India also adhere to safety standards like IS:375 (manufacture and arrangement of switchgear bus-bars, main connections and auxiliary winding), IS:2147 (degrees of protection for enclosures for low-voltage switchgear and control gear), IS:4237 (requirements for switchgears and control gears for voltage up to 1000v), IS:3427 (metal-enclosed switchgear and control gear for voltage within 1000V to 11000V), and so on.

While all multinationals and well established Indian manufacturers adhere to the safety standards, there are many small-time players who are compromising on quality to come up with cheaper products.  The technical qualification criteria for switchgears should be made so stringent that only quality products are approved.

We have already supplied electrical low-tension (LT) switchboard panels for a rooftop solar project coming up in about 20 jails spread across 15 districts of Punjab.

India has thousands of players in the switchgear/control panel industry. What are some of the characteristics that separate the “average” players from the “best in class”?

The “best in the class” players add a lot of value in terms of quality, safety, design and after-sales services. Their switchgear panels are environmental-friendly and virtually maintenance-free. There is no emission and the products, which are characterized by robust construction, use vacuum for arc quenching, offer sufficient air clearance in busbar and can be customized.

 

Coming back to Hartek, we learn of a major recent order for 11kV panels associated with solar rooftop projects on jails in Punjab. What is the current status?

Under this project, we have already supplied electrical low-tension (LT) switchboard panels for a rooftop solar project coming up in about 20 jails spread across 15 districts of Punjab. The low-voltage electrical panels supplied by us for installations to the tune of 5 mw will help in optimum distribution of an estimated 60 lakh units (kwh) of electricity to all the jail buildings. Providing a protective fuse for each circuit in a common enclosure, these panels will act as a shield against electrical overloads and short circuits while distributing electricity throughout a facility.

As already mentioned, Hartek Group has already supplied and installed electrical panels for more than 1 GW of solar projects.

 

Please discuss the criticality of power distribution panels in a typical project.

Good project developers view power distribution panels as one of the most important equipments in substations as they work as a shield-guard for all substation equipment and electrical networks. Moreover, these panels are useful in controlling the flow of electricity as per the voltage class and detecting the faults in transmission lines.  The use of control and relay panels is not only limited to substations owned and operated by electrical utilities, but is also essential in the industrial and commercial sector where power consumption is very high.

 

Tell us how your power distribution business complements your rooftop solar business.

We have set up the T&D manufacturing business of the Hartek Group in the form of Hartek India Pvt Ltd as a backward integration model. This proved to be a masterstroke, enabling the company to integrate backwards into manufacturing and assemble its own products under the brand “Hartek”. The company broke even in only its second year of inception by building on the immense economies of scale of the new manufacturing business through constant improvements in supply chain and appreciable reduction in costs. Our in-house design and infrastructure allows us to manufacture products according to the industry’s requirements. Hartek India perfectly complements our rooftop solar business which involves installation of solar panels and inverters, supply, design and engineering as our scope of work.

Hartek India, which also supplies electrical panels to various industries, commercial buildings and the real estate sector, is committed to creating more value for its customers through its service-oriented approach. We believe that apart from the product you sell, it is the service you provide and the problem you solve for your customers that makes the real difference. With precisely this in mind, we have deployed service engineers across the country who can reach any site within hours of a reported fault or breakdown.

It has become imperative to constantly innovate power distribution products; they form the very backbone of the power industry.

What are your growth plans in the power distribution business, and how do you see the years ahead?

The Hartek Group, equipped with unmatched expertise in manufacturing power distribution products, has been making consistent efforts to improvise and enhance its distribution product range. The power distribution market in India is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of about 9 per cent by 2020. The power distribution sector is in for a paradigm shift as it continues its march from a centralized to a decentralized system.

According to a recent study, major reforms are expected in the power distribution sector with the objective of reducing the commercial losses of utilities. To cater to the needs of the rapidly growing power distribution industry, power distribution products need to be upgraded constantly. There is a pressing need to regulate power flow and upgrade the distribution infrastructure to meet the ever-growing demand for power. As a result, it has become imperative to constantly innovate power distribution products; they form the very backbone of the power industry.