Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has successfully completed renovation and modernisation (R&M) and commissioned the third and final unit of three x 60 MW Baira Siul Hydro Power Station located in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
The first and second units of the station have already been renovated and commissioned in December 2019 and October 2020 respectively.
BHEL had won the order for R&M of the three units of Baira Siul Hydro Power Station amidst stiff competitive bidding. Set up in 1981, Baira Siul is the first hydro station of NHPC and also the first to be taken up for comprehensive R&M.
The R&M of the project will result in restoration of output capacity and improvement in efficiency, besides leading to better plant availability and life extension of equipment. Significantly, the capacity of each unit has been maintained at the rated output of 60 MW, even at the reduced head of 238.1 mtr, as compared to the originally designed rated head of 260 mtr.
Notably, BHEL is also the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the hydro units which have been successfully operating for over 35 years, before being taken up for comprehensive R&M.
BHEL’s scope in the project comprised design, manufacture, supply, replacement and commissioning of critical parts of turbines and auxiliaries, governors, generators and control & monitoring.
The equipment has been supplied from BHEL’s manufacturing units at Bhopal, Bengaluru and Jhansi, while the on-site installation activities were carried out by the company's Power Sector -- Northern Region division, Noida.
BHEL is already established as a leader in India’s hydro segment with over five decades of experience. Globally, the company has a portfolio of over 500 hydroelectric sets, with a cumulative capacity of more than 31,000 MW.
BHEL’s hydro plants are successfully performing in India and across the world, including countries such as Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Rwanda, Thailand, New Zealand, Nepal and Vietnam.
Within India, BHEL sets account for 46 percent of the country’s total installed hydro power capacity. BHEL with its own NABL accredited hydro lab for developing in-house hydro profiles is the ideal partner for achieving an efficient upgradation of turbine profiles, increasing their lifespan as well as reliability.
The company with its experience of working with a wide range of customers, offers ready availability of spares and quality services along with comprehensive R&M of BHEL as well as non-BHEL make Hydro sets.
Currently, BHEL is carrying out comprehensive R&M of 14 hydro sets across the country, aggregating to 639 MW.