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Nicco to get TDB aid for local cable tech

Our Bureau

CALCUTTA, Aug. 10

THE Technology Development Board (TDB) of the Union

Government's Science and Technology Department has approved a Rs. 40-crore soft loan for Nicco Corporation for setting up facilities for a range of electrical cables with indigenous technology.

Dr. Abhijit Sen, Nicco Corporation's Co-Chairman, told Business Line, that once implemented, these projects, meant to manufacture an import-substitute item as also some high-value products, would enable the company to grapple better with the recession-hi t electrical cable market.

The technology for these items has been developed at Nicco's Shyamnagar R&D centre, in association with Bhaba Atomic Energy Centre and IIT Kharagpur for the import-substitute product and through a tie-up with the Bangalore-based Central Power Research In stitute (CPRI) for high-voltage cables.

As part of its product range expansion project, the cable manufacturing division of the Rs. 552-crore turnover Nicco Corporation proposes to gradually get into the 440 kV range of power cables. It has two power cable manufacturing units - one each in Wes t Bengal and Orissa - and a telephone cable unit in West Bengal. The electrical cable unit's losses are offset by profits of the telecables unit. (It has two other divisions - the loss-making steel rolling outfit and profit-making turnkey projects divisi on.)

Pointing out that at present only cables up to 33 kV capacity were being made by Nicco, Dr. Sen said that starting with 66 and 132 kV, the cable capacity would be gradually expanded.

This technology has been developed by Nicco with help from CPRI and is currently being implemented in a phased manner. Fifty per cent of the Rs. 19-crore project cost (for the 66 and 132 kV project) is to be met with the TDB loan. Funds from ICICI and in ternal resources are to take care of the balance 50 per cent of the cost.

Pointing out that Rs. 6.5 crores have already been released by TDB, he said the project was under implementation at the Baripada unit in Orissa. Manufacture of 132 kV cable was expected to start by June 2001.

According to him, the import-substitute `electron beam radiation' (EBR) cable project is also expected to be implemented by June 2001. The funding pattern of the Rs. 37-crore project is similar to that for the high-voltage cable project. The chief of pro curement of the Indian Navy and General Manager of Chittaranjan Locomotives have been closely involved with the conceptualisation of the project. They are currently importing their needs for EBR.