HMC arranges construction of oil, gas processing plants

ISLAMABAD: Under the implementation of the government's restructuring plan, the Heavy Mechanical Complex (HMC) has entered into collaboration arrangements with several leading companies of the world specializing in various process technologies for different oil and gas processing plants and production equipment.

The HMC sources said in a statement that the restructuring plan of the HMC was submitted to the Planning Commission in May 2010, which enabled the state-run organisation to manufacture the much-needed hydro power plants, thermal power plants, wind turbines for power generation, heavy forgings for Nuclear Steam Supply Systems (NSSS) area of nuclear power plants.

The plan also includes manufacturing of oil & gas refining and processing plants, coal gasification plants for domestic use, gas and power generation high pressure boilers for co-generation in sugar industry, biomass, gas dehydration plant,gas sweetening plants, Sulphur recovery plants, LPG/NGL recovery plant, Crude stabilizing plant,Oil and gas seperators, cementing equipment, LPG storage tanks,mud solution tanks, Off-site facilities and utilities.

The sources maintained that HMC conform to API/ASME standard specifications including more productions including coal gasification plants for domestic use gas and power generation, equipment for industrial chemicals and fertilizer plants, larger module sugar, raw sugar refining and cement plants and mining machinery.

Under the new plan (PC-Is), establishment of turbines and power plants equipment manufacturing facility at HMC, Taxila at an estimated cost of Rs 21.543 billion with a foreign exchange component of $156.44 million, establishment of design institute specially for energy sector plants by up-grading the existing design center at HMC at an estimated cost of Rs 665.38 million was also planned under the new initiatives for restructuring the HMC, it was learnt.

The sources further said the machinery and equipment has been in use for the last 40 years and now has aged and is not adequate to handle large module equipments required by present day industry and need excessive maintenance to keep it operational.

Therefore, BMRE (Balancing, Modernisation, Renovation and Expansion) has become a necessity to keep the organisation abreast with the current requirements of technology and productivity.

The sources claimed that the implementation of this plan would enhance HMC competencies, through new technologies and up-graded facilities resulting in local manufacturing of turbines and power plants equipment reducing cost of power plant substantially, development of high skilled manpower, generation of large direct and indirect employment opportunities.

The most important outcome of the plan was that the government would be able save foreign exchange through generating heavy power plants for electricity generation, the sources maintained.

Besides meeting local requirement of plant and machinery, HMC has exported four sugar plants, one clinker grinding plant, over head traveling cranes, road construction machinery and host of other items to Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia, it was further learnt.