Alstom helps power sub-continent with new £300m contract
THE Midlands operation of transformer manufacturer Alstom Grid is at the heart of a new contract in India worth more than £317m.
Alstom’s High Voltage Direct Current Centre of Excellence, which is based at the firm’s site in Stafford, is working on a turnkey contract worth €400m to connect the power stations of Champa to Khurukshetra in Northern India using Ultra High Voltage Direct Current (UHVDC) technology.
The highly advanced technology will take the power form the Chhattisgarh region to areas of high power demand in the north of the subcontinent through a 1,365km transmission line, creating an ‘energy highway’ of efficient power transmission. The line will have a voltage level of 800kV, which is more than double the most powerful level seen in the UK.
A reliable electricity supply for the sub-continent is critical and the effect of what happens when the system breaks down was displayed earlier this summer when the country experienced the largest power black-out in its history.
Stephen Burgin, Alstom UK president and chairman of Power Electronics UK, said: “Alstom is at the forefront of the efficient transmission of power across long distances, with Stafford at the very heart of their technological development and deployment.
“For me, what makes this contract even more impressive is that it shows that we have the ability, right here in the UK, to make a real difference to rapidly developing economies around the world, where we can help take electricity from power station to plug – even when they’re thousands of miles apart.”
Under the terms of the contract, Alstom will deliver thyristor valves rated up to 800kV, 32 converter transformers, 400/220 kV gas- and air-insulated switchgear and substation equipment, communications and supervisory control and data acquisition systems. The work will include overall project management, studies, design, engineering, training, manufacture, civil works at site, site testing and commissioning.
Working alongside Alstom in Stafford will be Alstom Grid India, which has units located at Noida, Hosur, Padappai, Pallavaram and Vadodara.
Alstom currently employs around 2,000 people in Stafford – 1,400 of which work for the Grid business. The company is also recruiting dozens of experienced positions to work within the HVDC business in order to meet demand.
