Siemens to equip high voltage power distribution for Vedanta Aluminium

Tuesday, 23 Jun 2009

The Industry Solutions Division of Siemens Ltd India has received an order from Vedanta Aluminium Ltd to supply turnkey high voltage power distribution equipment for an aluminium melting plant at Jharsuguda in Orissa.

The project is part of the second phase of expansion at this facility, the aim being to increase the annual melting capacity from 0.5 million tonnes to 1.75 million tonnes and triple the production of ingots.

The order volume amounts to INR 1.12 billion. Siemens had already supplied the high-voltage power system for the first expansion stage of the melting plant.

The scope of supply and services from Siemens encompasses design, engineering, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the 33 kV and 11 kV power distribution systems. This includes power and distribution transformers, high-voltage vacuum circuit breaker panels, SCADA systems, DC distribution, cabling and auxiliaries. The time frame for completion of the project is 18 months.

Mr M Siddiqi Whole Time Director and CEO of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd said that “The expansion of the Jharsuguda factory is an important part of our growth strategy and it is our endeavour to make it one of the best aluminium plants in the world. We have chosen to extend our partnership with Siemens for our second phase of expansion, as they have demonstrated exceptional capabilities with their global technological expertise in the power sector. We are confident that Siemens will continue to bring tremendous value and we will be successful in our endeavour.”

Mr Robert Wagner executive vice president of Industry Solutions Siemens Ltd said that “We are happy to receive a repeat order from Vedanta Aluminium, which reiterates the customer’s confidence in our high-end technology and solutions. We remain totally focused on making our customers more efficient and competitive through our comprehensive technology offerings, worldwide experience and unparalleled domain expertise.”

The Indian aluminium sector has the highest rates of growth among all the country's metal-producing industries. VAL is investing a total of 120 billion Indian rupees in expansion of the Jharsuguda facility. After completion of the current, second phase of expansion, Jharsuguda will not only be the largest aluminium factory in Asia, but also one of the five biggest integrated production facilities in the world.