The INR 800 crore 3,000 MW steam turbine and generator project of Toshiba JSW Turbine and Generator Pvt. Ltd coming up here is expected to start production in July this year.

Mr Itaru Ishibashi MD of Toshiba said that "The turbine and generator project is on track and production is expected to start in July. About 75% of the work is over. Initially the component facility will start operations and it will be followed by the steam turbine and generator plant.”

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on Core Nodal Development in Chennai, Mr Ishibashi said that "Our concern is the strength of the bridges and the roads leading to the Ennore port from our plant. They need to be strengthened or even rebuilt so that they can bear the weight of our turbines and generators."

According to Mr Ishibashi, the turbine and generators would weigh around 450 tonnes and they will be transported to the Ennore port by trailers from where it would be shipped to the client locations.

Queried about the emerging competition with other companies Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Alstom setting up fresh capacities to the tune of around 12,000 MW and the home grown giant Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) expanding its capacity to 20,000 MW, Mr Ishibashi said that "The competition is there and there may be pricing pressure."

Asked about the absence of boilers in their portfolio, he said that "In Japan we work together with IHI for boilers and I am suggesting to that company to set up a facility in India."

IHI and Toshiba in Japan formed a joint venture to steam turbine parts for nuclear power plants for domestic and export markets and the latter is also looking for opportunity in the growing Indian nuclear power field but Ishibashi declined to comment on this aspect.

The company is a 75:25 venture between Toshiba and JSW Group

(Sourced from ET)