NPCIL orders backup generators
26 September 2011
Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd has been awarded a contract by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) worth some $80 million for the supply of 16 emergency diesel generating sets. Each set would have a generating capacity of 4.2 MWe. In a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange, Kirloskar said that delivery of the generators would be completed over the next 42 months. It was not disclosed at which nuclear power plant sites the backup generators are intended to be installed. In normal operation, a nuclear power plant is self-sufficient in the power it needs to keep itself running safely. Diesel generators provide a backup to ensure that safety-critical systems such as coolant pumps and electronic controls are guaranteed a power supply should the reactor be forced to shut down for any reason.