L&T Special Steels and Heavy Forgings (LTSSHF), a heavy forgings manufacturing arm of Larsen & Toubro, has manufactured a hydro generator shaft weighing more than 50 metric tonnes and measuring over eight metres in length for Voith Hydro. The company said the shaft is the heaviest of its kind produced in India and is intended for a hydropower project operated by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
The shaft was engineered to meet stringent quality and performance requirements specified by Voith Hydro for large hydroelectric applications. According to a press release issued by LTSSHF, the project represents a first-of-its-kind domestic manufacturing achievement in the ultra-heavy hydro power equipment segment.
“That is an impressive milestone for the Make in India initiative and a powerful testament to the capabilities of Indian engineering. The successful delivery of such a heavy shaft by Larsen & Toubro not only reinforces domestic self-reliance but also showcases the high-quality manufacturing standards that Voith Hydro demands for its global and local projects,” said Hirdesh Shrivastava, General Manager – Sourcing, Voith Hydro.
The company stated that the manufacturing process involved complex forging, heat treatment and quality assurance procedures to meet dimensional accuracy and material property specifications required for hydro generator shafts of this size. Such shafts are critical rotating components in hydroelectric generators and are subject to high mechanical and operational stresses during service.
The shaft was flagged off from LTSSHF’s manufacturing facility in the presence of Sachin Ambadkar, Strategic Sourcing Leader at Voith Hydro, along with senior executives from LTSSHF.
LTSSHF manufactures heavy and special steel forgings for sectors including power generation, oil and gas, defence, nuclear and heavy engineering, supplying large forged components to domestic and international original equipment manufacturers.