ABB has been felicitated with a Special Power Award for the restoration and modernisation of the critical Sharavathi hydroelectric power plant in Karnataka, at the state’s first Power Awards held at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru. Madhav Vemuri, President, Industrial Automation, ABB India and Ahmad Khan, Vice President, Power Generation and Water business, ABB India received the award from Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka, in the presence of D.K. Shivakumar, Energy Minister, Government of Karnataka.

 

The Department of Energy, Government of Karnataka instituted the awards this year for the first time, held on October 28, 2017, in a move to recognise and felicitate individuals and organisations who have contributed to supporting and enabling the state’s power projects and initiatives. The awards ceremony was attended by key political leaders in the central and state governments.

 

ABB has been a key contributor to building and strengthening core infrastructure to support the state’s power requirements. Among the significant projects executed was the emergency restoration and modernisation of the 1,035 MW Sharavathi hydroelectric generating station which was severely damaged due to a major fire accident on February 18, 2016. Sharavathi is Karnataka’s largest hydro power plant, contributing ~30% of the state’s power generation and a key source of energy for Bengaluru, the country’s third largest city and global information technology hub, often referred to as ‘India’s Silicon Valley’.

 

Sharavathi’s owners, Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL), the state-owned electric utility, expected the renovation of its second largest power generating station to take two years. Working round the clock, the ABB team with support from KPCL management, helped restore the entire plant – comprising ten units - in a record time of 162 days. The project had a significant human and social impact, ensuring 24x7 reliable power to 18 million customers across Karnataka.

 

Most of the technology to restore and modernise the plant was made in India - designed, conceived, engineered and delivered by ABB India. The solution, based on ABB AbilityTM Symphony® Plus, ABB’s flagship unified automation platform for generating and electrical systems, allows operators to monitor and control the entire plant from a single screen, either on-site or remotely. The Sharavathi project with seamless integration of complete plant data is an example of ABB’s future-ready technologies enabling the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and aligns with the government’s push for 24x7 reliable power for all with focus on smart power infrastructure and digitalisation.

 

“ABB India has been felicitated because of the timely and precise execution of this critical restoration project. During the overhaul, plant owners KPCL also specified most modern specifications for the new system. We are delighted that by leveraging the ABB AbilityTM Symphony® Plus unified automation platform together with very strong engineering and execution expertise in ABB India, we delivered the complete project - restoration and commissioning - in just 162 days,” said Ahmad Khan, Vice President, Power Generation and Water business, ABB India.