L&T sets up tower testing facility

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Larsen & Toubro has set up a transmission line testing and research station that will significantly bring down the cost and delivery time for its power transmission line projects.

The facility on 20 acres near Kanchipuram, about 50 km to the west of Chennai, is the largest of its kind in India with a capability to test and validate designs of transmission towers of any shape up to 35 m X 35 m with a capacity to carry lines of 1,200 kV, 95 m height and 1,000 tonne uplift per leg.

Apart from L&T's captive use it will also be available for others in transmission infrastructure.

Addressing a press conference after the launch of the facility, K.V. Rangaswami, President (Construction) L&T, said the company has on hand over 15 transmission network projects valued at about Rs 3,200 crore. This is expected to double or treble in the next few yearsIt has completed over 10,760 km of transmission lines. However, the limitations in facilities to test the design of tower prototypes has resulted in 6-7 months time lapse between receiving an order for the towers and erecting them at site. With the modern, SCADA-controlled facility L&T would be able to cut this time by half and productivity would increase.

Taken from Business Line