GE pays Dabhol plant a visit

The team that visited the plant site recently, with members from GE and National Thermal Power Corp (NTPC), did a cursory assessment of the plant and were fairly happy with plant conditions. Sources said the team expressed that the plant was in better shape than was expected.

However, this being a cursory assessment, a more detailed investigation of the gas turbines would be undertaken by the GE team only after the green signal from the Indian lenders is given, official sources said.

As the turbines have been supplied by GE, they said once the Indian lenders are agreeable, GE would enlist the team needed to do the assessment of the plant site.

Initially, the GE team plans to do a boroscopic assessment of the machinery, which basically entails remote viewing of the machinery using sophisticated instruments. This, however does not form part of a thorough assessment, sources said. The advantage of such assessment is that the turbines don’t have to be opened up for investigations.

Depending on the results, a decision would be taken on whether or not the machinery has to be opened up for further investigation, they clarified.