National Hydro-electric Power Corporation has received three spinning machines from Alstom for its Chamera III hydro project at Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. The project passed an important commissioning test on March 5, when all three 77MW Francis vertical turbines being installed by Alstom successfully completed the spinning at the rated speed of 333rpm in less than ten hours.

The test marks an important stage in the Chamera III project, where Alstom is delivering the units on a turnkey basis from its Vadodara Hydro site. The project is expected to be fully commissioned in the coming weeks.

Alstom was awarded the Chamera III HEP contract by NHPC in 2007. The scope of work included turnkey execution of Electro- Mechanical lot comprising of hydro turbines, generators and auxiliaries. Alstom's Hydro unit based in Vadodara has executed the works for the project.

So far, Alstom's Hydro facility in Vadodara has supplied major hydro power generation equipment for a total installed capacity of 4 GW for various projects in India and abroad. With the company's expanded production capabilities, Alstom's Hydro manufacturing unit in Vadodara expects to ramp up exports to more than 30 per cent annually to markets all over the world. This move follows an investment completed last year to build Alstom's most advanced bearing production facility. So far two-third of the factory's existing capacity caters to the India region while one-third of the capacity caters to export markets.

Emphasizing the role of Alstom Hydro India's contribution to the hydro market in India, Alain Spohr, Unit Managing Director, Alstom Hydro India, said, "The spinning of all three machines in record time is a testimony of the exemplary work and coordination of the team. We at Alstom are committed to provide cutting edge technological expertise and clean power generation solutions to our customers and partners and will continue to do so in the future as well. The hydro facility at Vadodara is one of the three large hydro equipment manufacturing hubs for Alstom along with China and Brazil. This factory is fully geared to meet the needs of domestic and international projects."