India's Lalitpur Power Generation Company Limited (LPGCL) is building a new coal based thermal power plant. SGS is there to ensure quality.

The plant, located in the Lalitpur district in Uttar Pradesh, uses supercritical boiler technology and will generate approximately 1,980 MW of electricity. It consists of three units, each with a 660 MW boiler-turbine-generator. Valued at approximately USD 2 billion, this project represents a significant investment for LPGCL.

The Need for Quality

With a large, complex project such as this, it is essential that quality issues be identified and addressed before they cause major problems. LPGCL knew that to reduce risk, it had to work with a company with proven expertise in ensuring quality. In June 2012, LPGCL chose SGS to perform quality assurance.

As Yadvinder Singh, Head - Field Quality Assurance, explained, "SGS was chosen for this project because of its work culture and experience in related fields."

SGS in India has been involved since construction began, helping LPGCL to identify and solve quality issues as they arise. For example, as work progresses, SGS may uncover issues with the quality of civil casting, welding or concrete. It is up to SGS to identify such issues and provide advice on how to correct them. As quality issues come up regularly, SGS's presence on site is vital to the project's successful completion.

Ensuring Standards are Met

SGS in India is providing LPGCL with a specialist team of civil, mechanical and electrical engineers, with working experience in supercritical thermal power projects. The team is performing on-site field quality inspection services to ensure compliance to specifications and codes, as well as adherence to an approved quality assurance plan. In addition to helping with specific quality issues, SGS is advising LPGCL on final plans and specifications.

According to Mr. Singh, the experience that SGS brings is invaluable: "Most of the SGS inspectors are from the power sector or from cross country piping. This is helping us a lot in our day-to-day activities."

With the help of SGS, the project has been progressing smoothly. LPGCL expects the thermal power plant to be completed early next year. Mr. Singh says, "I look forward to working with SGS again in the future."

distributed by