Maharashtra cabinet approves Rs 2731-cr BHEL project; PSU major commissions gas turbine generating unit in Oman

BHEL CMD BP Rao

IN A significant move, the Maharashtra Cabinet has given its nod to the Rs 2,731-crore BHEL project in Bhandara district to produce solar photo voltaic cells. The project is likely to ensure employment to around 3,000 people. The Maharatna PSU will produce...
240 mw solar photo voltaic cells and 100 mw photo voltaic modules at its plant in Sakoli in Bhandara district.
The project can avail subsidies from the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF).
Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has provided 480 acre land to BHEL for the project.  The proposal for a "mega project" was first sanctioned in January 2012 by the high-powered committee on condition that it would utilise the capital expenditure in five years, repay 20 percent of the VAT in 15 years, electricity duty waiver for 15 years and complete stamp duty waiver.
Union minister for heavy industries Praful Patel, who is also the MP from Bhandara, requested the state government to allow more perks to make the project financially viable.
In August 2013, BHEL increased its project cost from Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 2,450 crore and sought more concessions and also promised more employment opportunities.
Meanwhile, the PSU major has commissioned another gas turbine generating unit at a power project in Oman. “The 126-MW gas turbine generator has been commissioned at Qarn Alam-3 power project of Petroleum Development Oman,” BHEL today said in a statement. Earlier, BHEL commissioned a 2x126 MW Petroleum Development Oman Amal Gas Turbine Generating project in 2012. The gas turbine generator units were engineered, manufactured and supplied by BHEL’s Hyderabad plant, while the control system has been supplied by the company’s Bangalore works. The Sultanate of Oman is one of the key export territories for the engineering behemoth.
BHEL has got and executed 14 major contracts from the country. This includes the supply of 16 gas turbine sets in Oman alone in the past nearly two decades.
BHEL is currently executing various power plant projects in as many as 20 countries for installing 7,000 MW power generating capacity worth over $3 billion.
The Maharatna PSU has been engaged in the design, engineering, manufacture, construction, testing, commissioning and servicing of a wide range of products and services for the core sectors of Indian economy. Its areas of operations include power, transmission, industry, transportation, renewable energy, oil and gas and defence. With its 17 manufacturing divisions, two repair units, four regional offices, eight service centres, eight overseas offices and 15 regional centres, BHEL has currently operates at more than 150 project sites across India and abroad.