Bhilai Steel operated 2 x 550 TPD Oxygen ASU for feeding oxygen to their steel making furnaces. One of the ASUs suffered a breakdown, which severely affected the operation of the LD Converters causing loss of crores of rupees per day. The fault was diagnosed as leakage in the Reversing Heat Exchangers (RHE) of the ASU. The ASU had been supplied by BHPV, and the RHE was of KOBE – Japan make. Getting replacement from KOBE would take months, and in the meanwhile the production of steel would be severely affected – a situation that spelt doom for the Steel Plant. BSP approached BOCI for help.

Even though the plant in question was a competitor supply, BOCI swung into action to help out a valued Client in distress. Specialists in heat exchanger repairs including BOCI’s specially trained welding engineers, technicians etc., were flown in within 24 hours to check the feasibility of repairing the exchangers in-situ. Materials required for repairs were diverted from BOCI running project sites, and flown in to BSP for the repairs. Round the clock work was undertaken, and repairs completed, and the ASU put back in operation within seventy-two hours of the breakdown.

Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Limited (HDPEL) had a contract from the Andaman Port Trust Authority for construction of a 100Ton-cargo cum 400-passenger ship. The ship of modern design was to be constructed with Aluminium Superstructure – a first for HDPEL who had never undertaken any Aluminium fabrication works before, and needed a competent contractor to outsource the construction of the Ship Superstructure.

BOCI through their extensive experience of Aluminium fabrication & welding garnered through years of ASU installation involving Aluminium construction of Columns, Main Exchangers, Cold Box pipe work etc., was uniquely placed to service this critical requirement of HDPEL. BOCI had never undertaken ship construction before – but BOCI’s engineers promptly took up the challenge, and the construction of a magnificent luxury liner at Hooghly Dock is now in progress, where Contracts Division is yet once again proving its ability to deliver a quality job under the strict quality control of Lloyds to the entire satisfaction of the Client.

Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) at Gandhinagar was set up under the Department of Science & Technology with the objective of producing plasma – a hitherto uncharted territory in the annals of Particle Physics Research in the country. The main challenge was to develop and install a super-conducting tocomak for the first time in the country. The construction of the tocomak involved extensive installation of triple jacketed liquid helium transfer lines, valve boxes & cryostats with liquid nitrogen shielding, required for the super-conducting current leads for the tocomak. In addition, an extensive liquid nitrogen distribution & control system for cooling of the radiation shields, involving vacuum jacketed liquid nitrogen transfer lines was also required for the system.

BOCI had earlier developed similar liquid helium & nitrogen systems, albeit on a much smaller scale, for the first time in the country for the LINACS (Linear Accelerator) Project of Nuclear Science Centre (NSC) at Delhi. After review of the impeccable job done by BOCI at NSC, IPR decided to do away with expensive & difficult (due to restrictive export policy of the supplier countries) import of such systems, and relied on BOCI to deliver this critical sub-system of the tocomak. Yet another challenge which Contracts Division has taken in its stride, and is confident of concluding successfully.

Department of Science & Technology (DST) was looking at means to exploit the gas emanating from geothermal springs at Bakreshwar in West Bengal, for extracting helium. The gas from these springs contained approx 1% helium, and the requirement was to develop a feasible process for extracting crude helium up to 90% purity. If successful this would be the first indigenous source of helium in the country. DST operating through the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC), and Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) in Kolkata, approached BOCI for participating in this crucial technology development program, which would go a long way in making the country self sufficient in helium.

BOCI took up the challenge, and process engineers after extensive study, developed a design using cryogenic separation process for removal of impurities and extract 90% pure helium from the feed gas. BOCI then went on to create a prototype – a pilot plant was set up in VECC Kolkata, which after undergoing rigorous trials validated the design developed by BOCI. A process to further purify the product to 99% Helium using molecular sieve adsorption technology, is being currently examined by BOCI and VECC / SINP.