The Hindu Business Line : Voltas eyes expanded role in water-treatment biz

Changi project
For the Changi project, Voltas will take care of the mechanical process, pipeworks and equipment and United Engineers the building services and structural aspects.

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Voltas Ltd, a Tata group company that offers engineering solutions across a range of industries, hopes to use a major contract it has bagged for a water treatment project in Singapore to expand its activities in that area.

Voltas and United Engineers (Singapore) Pte Ltd have jointly bagged a Singapore $200 million (about Rs 600 crore) component of the Singapore $2.2-billion Changi water reclamation plant. Voltas' share of that contract is Singapore $116 million (about Rs 350 crore).

According to senior Voltas officials associated with the project, the Changi water reclamation project is one of the largest projects of this type and Voltas will use its experience to expand in this area. Among the engineering solutions it offers, electro-mechanical projects (that include water management and treatment) are an area of expertise for Voltas.

Mr Subhash Pritmani, General Manager - Far East & South East Asian region, Voltas Ltd, told a team of visiting Indian journalists at the Changi project site that a number of water treatment projects — both raw water and wastewater — were coming up in West Asia too. "This (the Changi project) project gives us tremendous pre-qualification," he said.

For the Changi project, Voltas will take care of the mechanical process, pipeworks and equipment and United Engineers the building services and structural aspects, according to Mr Pritmani. Voltas has shipped some large pieces of equipment from India, the value of which would be about $20 million.

Voltas, according to Mr Pritmani, is keen to acquire process knowledge expertise so that it can offer a complete package — electro-mechanical and process knowledge — while bidding for projects. It is open to the idea of acquiring companies with process knowledge expertise and is on the lookout for such companies for a possible acquisition or a tie-up.

The Changi water reclamation project, which should be fully commissioned by 2015, envisages recycling 538 million gallons a day of wastewater. The first phase is scheduled for completion by 2008.

According to Mr D.K. Kelapure, General Manager - Water Management Business, Voltas, overseas electro-mechanical contracts will now account for about Rs 100 crore and are expected to grow.

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