“In India, Franco Tosi Meccanica is fully geared to supply power plant equipments to large utility companies,” says J Srikant, Director – Marketing, Franco Tosi Meccanica S.p.A., A Group Company of Gammon India Ltd
Franco Tosi Meccanica (FTM) is in the business of design, engineering, manufacturing, testing, installation and commissioning of equipments for large power projects. Boiler, which is another major part of power project is manufactured by Ansaldo Caldaie – which is another Gammon Group Company. Major components of large Thermal Power Project consist of BTG (Boiler, Turbine & Generator) and BOP (Balance of Plant). BTG being major part of power plant, Franco Tosi is associated with Turbine and Generator manufacturing. FTM has very large and high end manufacturing and testing facilities at Legnano near Milan, Italy.
Technology for Steam Turbines and Hydraulic turbines
FTM has strong R&D set up which is continuously under development in last 130 years. In 1949 FTM tied up with Westinghouse for turbine technology. Over the years this has been further developed and improvised.
One century of experience in designing, manufacturing, erecting and commissioning steam turbines is the best proof of Franco Tosi Meccanica’s capability to meet the market demands for highly efficient, highly reliable and operationally flexible steam turbines with low maintenance costs. Turbines are designed, manufactured, quality-controlled and tested in compliance with the highest industrial standards including ASME, ASTM, DIN, ANSI and IEC.
Efficiency
• High aerodynamic efficiency blade airfoils
• Large exhausts and effective diffusers to minimize hood losses
• Structurally simple, symmetrical stationary parts that expand concentrically with the rotor to allow design radial clearances to be maintained during operation
• Enhanced efficiency through reduction of parasitic losses and lower speeds in the steam chests, valves and inlet piping.
Reliability
• Control stages designed and built to withstand partial admission operation at low loads
• Successfully field-tested standardized components, such as blades, journal and thrust bearings, seals, valves, couplings etc.
• Tilting pad type journal bearing for highspeed turbines and self-balancing thrust bearing.
Projects around the world
Being European company, it is not very easy to conduct business in cost sensitive market like India. By far, most European companies incur high design, manufacturing, testing and R&D costs due to high labour, material and other related costs. Since quality is never compromised, cost gets added significantly.
Despite all the constraints, FTM has supplied power plant equipments to large utility companies like Neyveli Lignite Corporation, Captive Power Projects for fertiliser and chemical companies. We are presently working on mid size coal based power plant and hydro power plants.
Presently FTM has no plans to invest in renewable energy business. However, this sector has potential to grow far higher than other sectors like thermal or nuclear. With world warming up to Green Technologies, renewable sources like hydro, wind, solar are the key for future energy needs. India has long coastline giving ample opportunity for wind energy and abundant sunshine for major part of the year ensures solar power to become viable option. Though there are some issues with hydro energy due to ecological reasons and large tract of land getting submerged, yet hydro power has potential over 150,000 MW in India and even if small percentage of this is converted to energy, there would be significant reduction in carbon emissions.
STEAM TURBINES
• Utility range – up to 800 MW
– Supercritical Steam Condition
– High Efficiency Reaction Blading
– Straight Condensing / Co-generation Type
• Industrial range – up to 200 MW
– Conventional or Package Layout
– Reheat type
– High Efficiency impulse or reaction blading
HYDRAULIC TURBINES
• Francis – up to 400 MW
• Kaplan – up to 100 MW
• Pelton – up to 150 MW
• Bulb – up to 20 MW
• Pump-turbine – up to 250 MW
AGGREGATE PLANT SUPPLY
• Thermal Applications
– Steam Turbine / Generator/Condenser
– Thermal cycle
– Turbine island
– Balance of plant – Mechanical, Electrical and C&I
• Hydro Applications
– Hydro Turbine / Generator
– Balance of plant – Hydro-mechanical, Electrical and C&I
– Complete Hydro Electrical Mechanical Package
Policies and reforms
Energy requirement in India is continuously growing and capacity addition is not matching with growth rate. The gap between demand and supply has widened, particularly in last two decades. There is no doubt that electricity is a major driver for economic growth and increasing gap is affecting other industries.
In my view following major policy shifts need to be considered by government if government wants to seriously address these issues.
• Provide higher level of tax incentive for power projects
• Provide land, water, fuel linkages to all approved power projects instead of IPP’s running around for these linkages
• While preserving ecological and environmental balance is of utmost importance, these clearances are delaying almost every project being conceived. There are host of other clearances needed which has to be brought under one roof for expeditious clearance
• Availability based tariff has to be implemented for all projects to ensure that plants are run efficiently and with high productivity
• Tariff has to be in two parts – first part to cover fixed cost with certain percentage of increase every year and – second part to take care of fuel cost which will compensate for changes in fuel prices since cost of fuel price is not in control of IPP’s
• Stringent laws to be formulated for power theft – which is now getting added in Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses. The unbilled power which is lost as theft gets added to law abiding people thus increasing power tariff
• Instead of giving tariff subsidy to public, provide subsidy for imported coal – for which prices have increased by more than 150 percent in last 3 years.