WB likely to offer land to CPRI
The West Bengal government is likely to offer a three acre plot near Kolkata to the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) which is keen to expand its presence in the state.
By TNN |
KOLKATA: The West Bengal government is likely to offer a three acre plot near Kolkata to the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) which is keen to expand its presence in the state.
The CPRI, which is under the Union power ministry, undertakes testing and certification of the gamut of power equipment used in electricity transmission and distribution.
The West Bengal power department has just asked CPRI to put in a formal application for land for setting up a power equipment testing laboratory near the city. Such land is likely to be offered in Rajarhat.
This was indicated here by state power minister Mrinal Banerjee on Friday after the inauguration of CPRI’s maiden power equipment testing laboratory that is now housed inside an existing WBSEB property.
“We are keen to offer CPRI a three-acre plot in Rajarhat for their testing laboratory. In the immediate term, CPRI will operate from an existing WBSEB property. I have asked them to put in an application to the state government,” Mr Banerjee said.
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According to Mr Banerjee “CPRI has big plans in the state”. Future investment in beefing up its power equipment testing infrastruture could be to the tune of Rs 100-150 crore, said state power department officials who were present at the inauguration proceedings.In the immediate term, CPRI will test all categories of power equipment like transformers, switchgears, circuit-breakers to electricity metres at its new laboratory inside a WBSEB property in Salt Lake.
Accordingly, power equipment vendors operating in the region, generation companies and electricity distribution licencees like CESC and WBSEB can have their T&D related power equipment locally tested at the CPRI facility in Salt Lake.
“With the CPRI setting up a regional testing laboratory in the city, no distribution licencee in the state will buy any equipment unless it is certified by the CPRI.
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It is now in the interest of all power equipment makers to get their electrical products like transformers, switchgears or electricity metres tested and certified by CPRI,” said a senior WBSEB official who was present at the CPRI laboratory launch proceedings.Till date, Bangalore-based CPRI had no presence in the eastern and north-eastern states. With launch Kolkata centre, CPRI has six testing laboratories in the country with their major ones in Bhopal, Hyderabad and Bangalore city. A testing laboratory on a similar scale is proposed in Rajarhat in the coming months.
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