Alstom, the global power systems manufacturer and service provider, and Bharat Forge Ltd (BFL), a global leader in manufacturing and metal-forming, today announced their decision to set up a joint venture company for manufacturing state-of-the-art supercritical power plant equipment in India.
Alstom and BFL have warmly welcomed the recent initiatives of the Government of India to introduce a major structural transformation of the Indian power sector. Both organizations, with their strong technological orientation, want to work together towards making India a hub for power equipment manufacturing. The intent to join hands for this venture has recently been conveyed to the Government of India.
The Joint Venture will design, engineer, manufacture and deliver turbine and Generator Island of 600-800 MW supercritical range with a total installed capacity of 5 GW per annum. Both the partners have agreed to explore manufacture of turbines and generators in sub-critical range as well as for gas and nuclear applications. The manufacturing infrastructure will include plants for manufacturing of turbine, generators and all the auxiliaries that go into turbine Generator Island.
The arrangement between Alstom and Bharat Forge involves setting up of two companies – the first JV Company for manufacturing of core turbine and generators and the other for manufacturing of all the auxiliaries.
The Alstom – Bharat Forge partnership will aim to deliver efficient and high quality equipment capable of satisfying the country’s demand for power while taking into account the worldwide drive for better protection of the environment.
Mr. Philippe Joubert, President, Alstom Power Systems, termed the partnership as”a meeting of two profoundly committed manufacturing giants”. “Alstom is delighted to work in partnership with BFL to help introduce a paradigm change in the power sector landscape. This joint venture is a significant step forward in reinforcing the Indian Government’s vision of a new India, strongly committed to high growth with self-sufficiency in power, based on cleaner and more efficient technologies.”
Commenting on the joint venture, Mr. B N Kalyani, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Forge Ltd., said “Bharat Forge’s foray into state-of-the-art power plant equipment manufacturing is geared towards meeting crucial needs of the region including a robustly growing Indian economy. We are delighted to be partnering with Alstom, a global leader in the world of power generation equipment and services that sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Both the organizations are committed to use their trans- continental strengths and world-class capabilities to deliver in India an array of advanced class generating equipment in sub and supercritical space setting global bench marks in reliability and efficiency,” he added.
More details about comprehensive partnership, such as the manufacturing program, investment size and location, etc. would be made public after necessary regulatory approvals in India and Europe.
Bharat Forge Limited (BFL), the Pune based Indian multinational is a technology- driven global leader in metal forming having trans-continental presence on more than a dozen manufacturing locations, serving several sectors including automobile, power, railways, shipping, oil and gas, aerospace, etc. Part of Kalyani Group – a US $ 2.4 bn conglomerate with 10,000 global workforce, BFL today has the largest repository of metallurgical knowledge in the region and offers complete service supply capability to its geographically dispersed marquee customers from concept to testing and validation. BFL is on the threshold of a breakout growth in non-automotive space and has embarked on an elaborate strategy to register its strong presence, inter alia, in power sector.
Bharat Forge is currently spearheading a major up scaling of its capacity in forging, casting, fabrication, machining and assembly to launch its multi-sectoral growth plans including power, oil and gas, railways and marine transport, aviation and mining. As a part of this, a 4000 ton press has already been commissioned at Pune while a 14000 ton press, the largest in this part of the globe, to manufacture heavy forgings, including rotors and shafts for nuclear power plants, is on the drawing board and will be commissioned in the year 2011-12.
Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, gas, coal, nuclear and wind with around a quarter of the global generating capacity to its credit and also builds the fastest trains and the highest capacity automated metro in the world. The Group employs more than 76,000 people in 70 countries, and had orders of € 23 billion in 2007/08. Alstom has been present in India for almost 100 years, with extensive presence in engineering and manufacturing activity in Hydro and Boilers.
