Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has commissioned a 520-mw coal-based thermal power unit in Andhra Pradesh.

"The unit has been commissioned at the 2x520 mw Vizag Thermal Power Project of Hinduja National Power Company Limited (HNPCL), Visakhapatnam," the company said in a statement.

"Significantly, in Visakhapatnam district, four 500 mw thermal sets supplied and executed by BHEL are already in successful operation at Simhadri Super Thermal Power Station of NTPC," it said.

The 2x520 mw Vizag thermal power project is being executed by BHEL on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis, it added.

"This project is located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Notably, this project uses single flow condenser and sea water as main cooling water," it said. The project was severely affected by the Hudhud cyclone in 2014 while it was under construction.

The restoration was carried out by BHEL on war-footing and the first unit has been commissioned successfully. The second unit of this project is also in an advanced stage of completion, it said. Recently, BHEL has secured prestigious orders for setting up two supercritical thermal power projects involving one unit each of the country's highest rating 800 mw sets, in Andhra Pradesh.

"The projects are 1x800 MW Dr Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station (Dr NTTPS) Stage-V of Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGENCO) and 1x800 MW Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station (SDSTPS) Stage-II, popularly known as Krishnapatnam Supercritical Thermal Power Project, of Andhra Pradesh Power Development Company Ltd. (APPDCL)," it said.

BHEL has already commissioned 5,010 MW of power plants in the utility sector during 2015-16 fiscal and is on track to achieve the target set by the government for the year.

Meanwhile, S.Gopinath, Executive Director, BHEL, Tiruchi has claimed that with its experience, contemporary technology and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, BHEL is better placed to supply power plant equipment to meet the stringent environmental norms.

He emphasised the need for shifting towards preventive and predictive maintenance of the power plants rather than break down maintenance.

C. Radhakrishna, Director, Projects, Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited (TSGENCO), said the Corporation has placed order for 6,000 MW of coal based thermal power plants with BHEL.

Delay in land acquisition and environmental clearances were the major factors contributing to project over runs in the power sector. He called for improving the storage management and supply schedule to meet the commissioning deadlines.

Rajeev Srivastava, Executive Director, Spares and Services Business Group, BHEL, said BHEL was fully equipped with its line of spares to meet the contemporary emission standards with respect to thermal power plants.

Efforts were being taken to retrofit the existing plants with necessary equipment.