OREANDA-NEWS. In quick succession, another hydro generating unit of 68 MW at Rampur Hydro Electric Project (HEP) in Himachal Pradesh has been commissioned by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). With this, BHEL has successfully commissioned five units of the 412 MW hydro power plant of SJVN Limited. The earlier four units at Rampur HEP were commissioned between March 2014 and June 2014. All the four have since been put into commercial operation. The sixth and last Unit is in an advanced stage of execution and is likely to be commissioned by BHEL shortly.

Rampur HEP powerhouse is located on River Satluj, a major tributary of the Indus Basin in Himachal Pradesh - 120 km from Shimla. BHEL's scope of work in the project includes supply, erection and commissioning of 6 numbers 68 MW Francis turbines operating at a head of 119 meters with matching synchronous generators of 200 rpm, static excitation system, main inlet valves, digital governors, state-of-the-art control & monitoring system (SCADA), associated station auxiliaries, Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) and electrical & mechanical Balance of Plant (BoP).

BHEL has a long standing association with SJVN Limited commencing with their first hydro generating plant - 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri HEP, which was commissioned in 2003-04.

Notably, nine hydro sets totalling to 641 MW were commissioned by BHEL in the year 2013-14. Fiscal 2014-15 is also progressing on a promising note for hydro projects, with the commissioning of a 130 MW set at Parbati in May, 2014 and one 68 MW Unit of Rampur in June, 2014, now followed by another 68 MW unit at Rampur HEP. BHEL is presently executing Hydro power projects of around 5,000 MW which are under various stages of implementation.

Significantly, so far, more than 500 hydro generating sets of various ratings have been contracted on BHEL in India and abroad, with a cumulative capacity of more than 26,000 MW, out of which, equipment for about 5,000 MW generating capacity has been contracted outside India. In 2013-14, BHEL had secured the orders for 206 MW Shahpur Kandi HEP in Punjab and 120 MW Vyasi HEP in Uttarakhand, against stiff international competition.

BHEL has been committed to the nation's power development programme and has reaffirmed its commitment to the Indian Power Sector by equipping itself by way of contemporary technology, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and skilled technical manpower. Responding to the growth in the nation's demand for power equipment, BHEL has enhanced its manufacturing capacity to 20,000 MW per annum.