Howden powers up for India
Howden and Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) have signed a joint venture agreement to collaborate on projects delivering axial fans and air-preheaters to the Indian thermal power generation sector.
This will be followed by technology licensing agreements with Howden group companies for the design, engineering, and manufacture of these products.
Howden products are key components within today’s highly efficient power generation plants and will provide Indian power generation customers with world class technology and application engineering.
A new £10m manufacturing facility will be opened as part of the joint venture producing axial fans and rotary air pre-heaters for power plants ranging between 100 MW
to 1200 MW. The manufacturing operations are expected to be ready to start production by 2011.
Howden is already the world’s largest and longest established manufacturer of air and gas handling equipment, and in signing the agreement in Mumbai on May 4th 2010 Howden Chief Executive Bob Cleland said “India provides one of the major growth opportunities in the power generation market worldwide over the coming years and Larsen & Toubro is one of the most respected companies in India.
With over one hundred years of experience in supplying fans and rotary heat exchangers to the power market, Howden is the global market leader and supplies to over a hundred countries with a brand name respected the world over.
The combination of Larsen & Toubro and Howden in this new joint venture is a completely natural fit and opens up wonderfully exciting opportunities into the future.”
Commenting on the joint venture, Mr. A. M. Naik said, “This marks another milestone for L&T Power. L&T is poised to emerge as India’s premier power sector company.”
Mr Ravi Uppal, on signing the agreement said, “L&T and Howden possess complementary strengths and make a winning combination in the Indian power generation market. The agreement is a landmark for both organisations, and will aim at delighting its customers with steadfast project management and products of superior technology. We are very happy to join hands with a global technology leader like Howden, and I’m sure this partnership will go a long way forward.”