(a) whether the Government has taken note that the foreign equipment like
turbine installed in various major power projects in the country including West
Bengal are of very inferior quality;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
(c) whether in view of their inferior quality the Government proposes to
impose ban on Chinese equipment installed in power projects; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER(SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL)
(a) & (b) : As per information available from Central Electricity Authority
(CEA), details of the thermal units commissioned in XI Plan with boiler and
turbine generators imported from foreign manufacturers are
annexed.Following units in operation in West Bengal with boiler and turbine
generators supplied by Chinese manufacturers suffered failures as per details
below:
(i) Two sets of 300 MW units supplied by DEC, China were commissioned in
2008 at Sagardighi Thermal Power Plant of The West Bengal Power
Development Corporation Limited. Initially there was failure of LP
Turbine blade of Unit 1. Subsequently, it was replaced and now both the
units are running well.
(ii) One unit of 300 MW unit has been installed in the Durgapur Projects
Limited as extension Unit No.7 by M/s. Dongfang Electric Corporation
(DEC), P.R. China. The said unit is in operation since February 2008 and
declared under commercial operation since 30.04.2008. DPL had not
faced any problem with the operation of the turbine. However, due to
some accidental failure of the control system, there was starvation in
turbine bearing lubricating oil system on 30.05.2010 which led to some
damage of the turbo-generator rotors. The damaged portion of the rotors
have been repaired and ready for re-commissioning in the month of May,
2011.
As informed by CEA, no specific issue related to the quality of
turbine generators from foreign manufacturers have been brought out by the
utilities.
(c) & (d) : There is no proposal to impose a ban on Chinese equipment in
power projects at present.