BHEL to invest Rs.690 cr for piping plant in Tamil Nadu

Power equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) will invest Rs.690 crore to set up a new piping plant at Thirumayam in the state and expand its boiler division here.

“The company’s Board Thursday sanctioned Rs.250 crore for setting up a new piping plant at Thirumayam. The piping plant, apart from serving the current needs, will also look at new sectors like refinery and nuclear power sectors. The balance Rs.440 crore will go into the boiler plant located here,” BHEL Executive Director A.V. Krishan told reporters here Friday.

He said 40 acres of land have been acquired at Thirumayam and the company has approached the government for an additional 40 acres.

Krishnan said the expansion will be completed by 2011 and the division’s capacity will go up by 5,000 to 15,000 MW per annum.

He did not agree that the Rs.34,050 crore company was expanding in an incremental manner though the demand potential and the order book position were far above its capacity.

“The order book started swelling only slowly and in recent times. The current capacity is sufficient to meet the demand,” he said.

He said the division’s order book position stands at Rs.35,000 crore to be executed in two years.