ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won orders worth around $30 million from the Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Company Limited (BRBCL). The orders, for a turnkey substation and power transformers, were booked in the first quarter.

The 4 x 250 MW (megawatt) Nabinagar thermal power plant is being commissioned by BRBCL to meet the increased power requirements of the rail networks in eastern and central India, including the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

ABB will be responsible for the construction of a 400/132 kV (kilovolt) substation to connect the newly established Nabinagar thermal power plant to the railway network.

“The new capacity will support the expanding rail network, which is used by millions of passengers, and also improve reliability and efficiency in the system.” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division.

The substation will have nine 400kV bays and seven 132 kV bays and ABB will supply 16 low-loss transformers of various ratings, to ensure maximum energy efficiency.

BRBCL was set up as a subsidiary of NTPC in collaboration with the state-run Indian Railways. NTPC, with a capacity of over 31,000 MW is India’s leading power generation utility. Indian Railways owns and operates most of the country’s rail transport and is one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, transporting around 20 million passengers and more than 2 million tons of freight every day

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people.