Date:11/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/04/11/stories/2007041101880200.htm

Back Thermax focuses on energy audit, maintenance biz

Our Bureau

Pune April 10 Energy and Environment management company Thermax Ltd is expanding its operations and maintenance (O&M) businesses and proposes to triple energy audits to cater to the growing market demand.

To make O&M a major business over the next five years, Thermax is foraying into new market segments, including offering services to power plants not built by it and expertise to those that are 100 MW and more.

Currently Thermax O&M contracts are restricted to customers where it has put up turnkey captive power plants.

Mr M.S. Unnikrishnan, Executive Vice-President, Thermax Ltd, said, "The emerging trend of outsourcing this activity is evident from the business Thermax has picked up from the cement sector which is on the fast-track of becoming cost-competitive."

Till March 31, 2007, Thermax has signed five O&M contracts.

A typical Rs 100-crore captive power plant in a cement factory would spend Rs 36 crore on annual fuel bills and one of the major benefits Thermax offers is a reduction in energy costs with higher power plant productivity. The efficient use of water, with conditioning chemicals in both the boiler and cooling tower, also adds to the productivity of operations.

Annual audits

Thermax's other service business of energy audit is also being expanded to 100 audits from 35 last year. It is now mandatory for process industries to conduct annual audits of their utilities by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) accredited auditors. Thermax has energy audit professionals certified by BEE.