OREANDA-NEWS. October 2, 2012. Tata Power, India's largest integrated power company, in order to build a long term, collaborative relationship hosted a seminar in Mumbai facilitated by ABB in India which shared technology trends and power solutions. A shared view of playing a major role in the country's developmental aspirations of ensuring reliable power supply and building a stronger grid provided a broader basis for this seminar, which focused on future trends, rather than on specific products.

In the coming years, the private sector's stake in installed capacity is set to grow. Government thrust on hydro projects, increased gas-based generation, the growth of nuclear energy and the stronger role that renewables such as solar and wind are playing provide an opportunity to contribute to a better India.

It became apparent that the two companies share a united vision in terms of strategy. Bazmi Husain, Managing Director and country head of ABB in India spoke at length about the importance of smart grids and energy efficiency in a more sustainable approach to meeting the growing need for power, while keeping environmental impact down to a minimum.

Mr S. Padmanabhan, Executive Director-Operations, Tata Power affirmed, "It is our endeavour to maximize returns while minimizing risks. Operational excellence, execution excellence and growth are the three main pillars of our strategic intent. The first priority must be to sustain the distribution and transmission system in India. While we have ambitious growth plans, we are committed to 'responsible growth'." Tata Power is moving into a whole basket of power businesses, including green-field acquisitions.

ABB presented its Electrical Balance of Plant (EBoP) that optimizes power plant energy efficiency in both new and existing facilities that can reduce consumption in 400 MW and higher rated coal-fired plants by more than 10 percent, corresponding to a net increase of 4 to 6 MW in capacity. ABB has the engineering capability, experience and its own technologies to deliver 'turnkey' system integration of EBoP specifically tailored to different types of power plants.

Power plant control and instrumentation (C&I) is another crucial area where ABB offers efficient interface-handling throughout the life of the facility. ABB pioneering technologies such as gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) and the hybrid switchgear solution: plug and switch system (PASS) that offer considerable space saving, and easy integration with minimum downtime also formed part of the discussion.