Siemens signs Tk 150cr deal to build power substation for BSRM

Chittagong-based steelmaker BSRM will set up a substation to ensure uninterrupted power supply to its upcoming billet plant.
The steel giant yesterday inked a Tk 149.66 crore (Rs 104.4 crore) deal with Siemens Ltd to build the gas insulated switchgear (GIS) substation, the first of its kind in the private sector, within 15 months.
The new plant's billet will be supplied to the sister concerns of BSRM Group, said Aameir Alihussain, managing director of BSRM.
Currently his company produces around three lakh tonnes of billet a year and the new plant will have a production capacity of around 8.5 lakh tonnes.
He said BSRM now has a small air insulated switchgear (AIS) unit which needs much space.
Although a number of companies, including BSRM, GPH, RSRM, Rahim Steel and Bashundhara Steel, are producing billet locally, around 15 lakh tonnes are still imported every year.
Billet is a raw material for producing high quality steel. This is the first private-sector funded GIS substation, Siemens said in a statement.
Siemens will also provide high-performance, reliable, competitive and energy efficient technologies such as control panels and a substation automation system, it said.
“It is a breakthrough for Siemens in the private sector in Bangladesh. With this project, we intend to create a benchmark for future power projects in the country,” the statement said, quoting AK Dixit, sector cluster lead -- energy sector, Siemens South Asia.
“Power is the need of the hour in Bangladesh, like in the rest of South Asia, and we are confident that Siemens technologies will form the backbone of the power infrastructure in the country,” Dixit said.
Quoting Alihussain Akberali, chairman of BSRM Group, the statement said it is the Group's goal to strive for sustainable growth, and the capacity of the Group is expanding with establishment of new power plants.
Since its inception in 1968, Siemens has installed more than 26,000 GIS bays worldwide, the statement added.