Bhel offers to supply diesel locomotives to Pakistan

India’s state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel) has offered to supply 100 diesel locomotives to Pakistan as part of a plan to modernize the country’s rail infrastructure. If the public sector unit clinches the deal, it will be the first such order for an Indian manufacturer. The proposed deal, valued at around Rs. 1,000 crore, comes against the backdrop of newfound bonhomie between the two countries. India-Pakistan ties have picked up since last year and there has been a marked improvement in economic cooperation. “China had earlier supplied around 1,000 locomotives to Pakistan, of which 800 have developed defects. Their railway network is down,” said a senior Bhel executive, requesting anonymity. “We made an independent offer of 100 locomotives to a Pakistani delegation which had come visiting recently. We are now working with their ministry of railways for the order to fructify. Once this happens, we may get more orders given the huge demand,” he said. more at: http://www.livemint.com/2012/06/29002351/Bhel-offers-to-supply-diesel-l.html

No respite in sight for BHEL

Despite stock valuations near their all-time lows and talk of imposition of import duty on power equipment, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd’s proposed follow-on public offer (FPO) might not evoke a resounding response. The government plans to sell five per cent of BHEL’s equity, the second largest company in terms of market capitalisation among the 15 public sector units (after NMDC) listed for divestment. more at: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/no-respite-in-sight-for-bhel/478685/

BHEL bags Rs 950 crore contract from Bhutan

BHEL today said it has bagged a Rs 950 crore contract for supplying equipment for 1,020 MW hydel project in Bhutan. "BHEL has secured a contract from Punatsangchhu Hydroelectric Project Authority (PHPA), Bhutan for the electro-mechanical equipment package for a 1,020MW (6x170 MW) Hydroelectric project in Bhutan," the company said in a statement. "Valued at Rs 950 Crore, the order envisages manufacture, supply, erection and commissioning of the electro-mechanical equipment for the 1,020 MW Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric project," it said. BHEL is also executing the 1,200 MW Punatsangchhu-I project in Bhutan. It is being set-up under a bilateral agreement between India and Bhutan. ref: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods/svs/engineering/bhel-bags-rs-950-crore-contract-from-bhutan/articleshow/14406963.cms

BHEL to recruit 11,000 people in 12th Plan

In the 11th Plan period, the public sector power equipment major, BHEL, recruited 7,266 people more than the number of employees who retired. However, in the 12th Plan period, manpower addition, net of retirement, is likely to be close to zero. The company told analysts recently that it would recruit 2,200 people a year during the 2012-17 period, but that would be only as many as the number of people who retire. “Given the current cost pressures and competition in the industry, BHEL intends to only replace retiring employees,” says a report of Edelweiss. BHEL’s Chairman and Managing Director, Mr B P Rao, told analysts recently that the total number of employees would “more or less remain constant, because we have already done major recruitment in the past.” The company has about 48,000 employees. more at: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/article3569551.ece

BHEL to make solar cells at Sakoli

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd is planning a huge foray into non-conventional energy equipment. It is planning to set up a photo voltaic (PV) cells and solar panels plant, the first of its kind in the country. This would be part of the investment BHEL is planning at Sakoli which is part Union heavy industries minister Praful Patel's constituency Bhandara. Patel told TOI on Tuesday that process for land acquisition through MIDC for BHEL plant had already begun. It will acquire 500 acres of land. In the first phase, BHEL will set up a fabrication unit at an estimated investment of Rs 1000 crore. Right now the work is done at Trichy unit of BHEL and to increase the capacities, part of the fabrication work will be shifted to Sakoli plant. more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/BHEL-to-make-solar-cells-at-Sakoli/articleshow/14279758.cms

BHEL commissions 500-mw unit at NTPC's Vindhyachal project

State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) on Tuesday said it commissioned the eleventh 500-mw unit at NTPC's Vindhyachal super thermal power project in Madhya Pradesh. With this, 12 million units of electricity will be added to the grid every day, a company statement said. The main plant package contract for Vindhyachal STPP stage-IV was placed on BHEL by NTPC and this is the fifth 500 mw unit that BHEL has commissioned for NTPC during the past three months. The others being Vallur-1, Simhadri-4, Mauda-1 and Rihand-5. With the commissioning of the Vindhyachal unit, BHEL has added a total of 2,000 mw to the grid in the current financial year. This includes three NTPC units of 500 mw each and two units of 250 mw for Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd at Harduaganj and Parichha power projects, the statement said. ref: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/bhel-commissions-500-mw-unit-at-ntpcs-vindhyachal-project/articleshow/14264794.cms

BHEL falls as Rajasthan government re-invites bids for Rs 12,000 crore tender

Shares in power equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) underperformed the broader markets on the back of increased competition in the capital goods space. As many as four companies would be bidding with BHEL for the Rs 12,000 crore Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) tender re-invited by the Rajasthan government. The tender for two separate thermal power projects in Rajasthan was bagged by BHEL more than a year ago, but was later scrapped. When the tenders were floated in November 2009 and opened in April 2010, there were three bidders -- BHEL, BGR and Russia's Power Machines. L&T, Gammon & Thermax, BHEL and BGR Energy are expected to participate in the re-bidding. more at: http://profit.ndtv.com/News/Article/bhel-falls-as-rajasthan-government-re-invites-bids-for-rs-12-000-crore-tender-306415

BHEL may not join RINL, MECON for Rs 2,000-cr steel unit

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) may not join hands with steel maker Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) and MECON Ltd for the proposed Rs 2,000-crore joint venture that plans to set up a factory at Vizag for manufacturing steel for core sectors. Sources in the know said BHEL has expressed its unwillingness to be a party in the venture at a meeting with steel secretary D R S Chaudhary last week. “BHEL is not keen on setting up any such manufacturing unit as it already has factories for manufacturing equipment for power, auto and rail sectors at Trichy, Ranipet, Haridwar, Hyderabad, Banga-lore and Bhopal,” a source said. more at: http://business-standard.com/india/news/bhel-may-not-join-rinl-mecon-for-rs-2000-cr-steel-unit/476946/

BHEL commissions 250MW unit at Harduaganj thermal power station

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) on Thursday said it has completed two units of 250 MW each for Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL). It commissioned a second 250 MW unit at Harduaganj Thermal Power Station (TPS) in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. “While the first unit in the contract was commissioned by BHEL in September 2011, the project has now been completed with the commissioning of the second unit,” the company said in a statement. This station will generate six million units of electricity, it said. UPRVUNL had placed orders for setting up two units of 250 MW each at Harduaganj TPS. At the same time, BHEL is executing other contracts for a 250 MW unit at Parichha and two units of 500 MW each at Anpara UPRVUNL. BHEL’s scope of work in the Harduaganj contract included manufacture, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of the main plant package along with associated auxiliaries and civil works for the main plant package. The equipment for the project has been supplied by the company’s manufacturing units in Haridwar, Trichy, Ranipet, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bhopal and Jhansi. ref: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/article3500413.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home

Industrial slowdown and policy paralysis hurting BHEL

The slowdown in domestic industrial investment has decelerated the economic growth of our country, not to mention the adverse impact it has had on companies that directly or indirectly cater to the industrial segment. Capital goods is one of the most battered sectors today with current macro-economic headwinds watering down the growth and progress of companies like BHEL. Navratna public sector undertaking ( PSU) Bharat Heavy Electricals or BHEL is an integrated power plant equipment manufacturer and one of the largest engineering and manufacturing companies in the country. Once hailed as a key pick in the heavy engineering space, BHEL today appears to be losing its sheen. Pricing pressures, competition from cheaper imports and shrinking order inflows are no longer mere concerns, but have become a significant threat to the company. more at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/investors-guide/industrial-slowdown-and-policy-paralysis-hurting-bhel/articleshow/13734130.cms

Probe sought into JSEB work allotment to BHEL

The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) on Friday demanded a probe by a high-powered committee into the alleged irregularities in allotment of work to the Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL) by the Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB). A delegation of the party will meet governor Syed Ahmed on Saturday and submit a memorandum with relevant documents which proves that the JSEB has not followed the rules while allotting work to the BHEL. Party general secretary Pradeep Yadav said recently the JSEB awarded maintenance work for the Sikidiri Hydel Power Project to the BHEL with an estimate prepared by the engineers violating the rules. "We have documentary evidence that the JSEB engineers had prepared a project report according to which the total cost of renovation would have been around Rs 2.6 crore. The JSEB management turned down the project report and gave the work to BHEL which would cost the state exchequer around Rs 24 crore," Yadav said adding that the party smelt foul and demanded a probe by a high-powered committee. more at; http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Probe-sought-into-JSEB-work-allotment-to-BHEL/articleshow/13717507.cms