WCA November 2015

India Insight

Shedding light in security

Highest-ever quarterly profits Reliance Industries has reported its highest-ever quarterly net profit of Rs 6,720 crore for the July to September period. That equates to the company earning US$10.6 for turning every barrel of crude oil into fuel. RIL’s gross refining margins will continue to improve as it completes margin-enhancing projects – the petcoke gasification project and refinery off gas cracker, which will enhance the recovery of petrochemicals from the refinery off gases that are currently being used as fuels. “We expect RIL’s margins will improve by at least US$2 per barrel on completion of these projects,” Moody’s Investors Service said. Reliance Industries Ltd – India Website : www.ril.com Grid growth Sterlite Power Grid Ventures Ltd (Sterlite Grid) has commissioned its Jabalpur transmission project. The 379km long, 765kV double circuit Dharamjaygarh to Jabalpur line is the longest 765kV line in the country. The 236km Jabalpur to Bina element was commissioned in June, and with the commissioning of the second element, Sterlite Grid has become the first private developer to complete a 765kV double circuit transmission system. The Dharamjaygarh to Jabalpur line will transmit power from generating plants in Chhattisgarh and Odisha to key load centres in the western and northern regions. Sterlite Grid has already commissioned ENICL (East North Interconnection Co Ltd) and BDTCL (Bhopal Dhule Transmission Co Ltd). The company now operates over 2,800km of EHV transmission lines and 6,000MVA of transformation capacity across seven states, integrated with the national grid. “Besides eliminating bottlenecks in connecting power producers and distribution entities, the project will ensure stability and reliability of the grid. “By commissioning JTCL project, Sterlite Grid has showcased that private developers have come a long way to play a pivotal role in the government’s mission to provide uninterrupted power to all by 2022,” said Sterlite Grid’s chairman, Pravin Agarwal.

From November, ONGC Tripura Power Company will export power to Tamu in Myanmar (Burma), where insurgent groups are believed to be hiding. “This is going to be a very important power export, and [the] Indian government readily agreed,” confirmed ONGC Tripura’s managing director, Satyajit Ganguly, adding that the power will be transported via Manipur from the 726MW Palatana project in Tripura. “The Tamu town, which is just 3km from Moreh, currently does not have any grid connection and people there use diesel generator sets for power. We will export 3MW of power and this will be sufficient to light up the town. This will help the security agencies in tracking the terrorist movement,” Mr Ganguly said. Regarding power export to Bangladesh, the necessary transmission lines are currently being laid and Mr Ganguly said it is likely to begin in January or February 2016. Tripura Power Company – India Website : www.otpcindia.com Superfast 4G rollout begins The country’s largest telecom group by sales has started rolling out superfast 4G mobile data packages in 296 towns – and also plans to sell low-cost smartphones. Bharti Airtel launched the high-speed data offering ahead of rival Reliance Jio, expected to launch by the end of the year. Airtel is also offering 4G handsets following a deal with Samsung and Flipkart, and partnership deals with other players could be announced later. Gopal Vittal, Bharti Airtel’s chief executive, said: “We have now built India’s first commercial 4G network that will make high-speed mobile broadband a reality.” He added that the company had increased the number of 4G mobile sites three times in the last 60 days to provide better services to customers. The 4G service has been rolled out to towns and cities since its launch in Calcutta in 2012. Competitor Reliance Jio is currently testing its 4G network before its commercial launch.

Bharti Airtel Ltd – India Website : www.airtel.in

Sterlite Power Grid Ventures Ltd – India Website : www.sterlitetechnologies.com

41

www.read-wca.com

Wire & Cable ASIA – November/December 2015