Why power plants need a multi-discipline mechanical contractor
Power plant construction involves the heaviest lifts, the most demanding piping specifications and the tightest erection tolerances of any industrial sector. A boiler drum weighing 150+ tonnes must be placed at 50-metre height with millimetre precision. Steam piping operates at 540 degrees Celsius and 170 kg/cm2 pressure — a single weld defect is a catastrophic failure. Structural steel for boiler houses must carry dead loads, wind loads, seismic loads and thermal expansion simultaneously. HAIL brings the multi-discipline capability that power plant construction demands: heavy-lift cranes (200/100/50 MT owned fleet), ASME-qualified welders for high-pressure alloy piping, structural steel fabrication per IS 800, and a project management system that coordinates civil, mechanical, piping, electrical and instrumentation without interface gaps. We deliver the complete mechanical and BOP scope under one contract — one project manager, one schedule, one accountability.
Power plant services we deliver
Boiler erection & tube installation
Water-tube boiler erection including drum placement (heavy-lift), buckstay installation, water wall panels, superheater and reheater tube banks, economiser coils, air preheater assembly, wind box and burner installation. Tube welding per IBR (Indian Boiler Regulations) and ASME Section I with full radiography on pressure parts.
Turbine & generator foundations
Massive RCC turbine table-top foundations with vibration isolation, generator pedestal foundations, condenser foundations and auxiliary equipment bases. Precision bolt-setting for turbine sole plates, alignment of embedded parts and post-pour dimensional surveys.
Structural steel for power houses
Boiler house steel structure (up to 80 m height), turbine hall columns and roof trusses, bunker bay framing, ESP support structures, chimney platforms, coal handling plant structures and conveyor galleries. Fabrication per IS 800 / AISC 360, erection using HAIL-owned crane fleet.
High-pressure steam piping
Main steam, hot reheat, cold reheat and feed water piping in alloy steel (P11, P22, P91) per ASME B31.1. Pre-heat, PWHT, 100% radiography, hardness testing and spring hanger installation. Pipe spool fabrication in workshop and site erection with hydraulic fit-up tools.
ESP ductwork & ash handling
Electrostatic precipitator casing fabrication and erection, flue gas ductwork from boiler to chimney, ash hoppers, economiser hoppers, expansion joints and dampers. Ash handling piping — slurry lines, pneumatic conveying systems and ash water recirculation piping.
Cooling tower piping & water systems
CW piping (large-bore CS), CT basin piping, make-up water systems, DM water plant piping, condensate polishing unit piping, fire water network and raw water intake systems. Pipe sizes up to 2000 mm NB in CS with 3LPE coating for buried sections.
Power plant sectors and project types
Thermal power plants (coal/gas)
Sub-critical and supercritical coal-fired power stations, gas-turbine combined cycle (GTCC) plants and waste-heat recovery units. Complete mechanical scope from boiler erection through BOP, fuel handling, ash handling, water systems and chimney construction. Unit sizes from 30 MW captive to 660 MW utility-scale.
Captive power & cogeneration
Captive power plants and cogeneration facilities for refineries, fertiliser complexes, chemical plants, cement works and steel mills. Boiler installation, HRSG erection, steam distribution piping, turbine foundations and complete BOP scope integrated with the main process plant.
Renewable energy BOP
Balance-of-plant for solar thermal (CSP) plants, biomass power plants and waste-to-energy facilities. Structural steel, piping, storage tanks, equipment foundations and mechanical installation. Fuel handling systems for biomass plants including conveyors, feeders and storage silos.
Plant upgrades & overhauls
Boiler tube replacement during annual overhauls, superheater/reheater coil replacement, economiser upgrades, air preheater basket replacement, ESP field additions, chimney lining repairs and cooling tower refurbishment. Shutdown-window execution with compressed schedules.
Heavy-lift capability for power plant equipment
Power plant construction involves some of the heaviest single lifts in industrial construction. Boiler drums, generators, transformers, condensers and deaerators must be placed at height with precision alignment — often in congested plant layouts with limited crane access. HAIL owns and operates a heavy-lift crane fleet specifically suited to power plant erection:
| Crane capacity | Typical power plant lift | Reach capability |
|---|---|---|
| 200 MT | Boiler drum placement, generator stator, main transformer | Up to 60 m boom height, 30 m radius at 100 MT |
| 100 MT | Condenser shells, deaerator, large heat exchangers | Up to 50 m boom height, 20 m radius at 60 MT |
| 50 MT | Boiler wall panels, economiser coils, structural steel modules | Standard industrial reach for mid-weight lifts |
| 20 MT | Piping spools, ductwork sections, small equipment | General purpose — auxiliary lifts and support |
Every heavy lift follows a documented lift study: load weight verification, centre of gravity calculation, ground bearing capacity assessment, rigging design, crane placement, exclusion zones and communication protocol. For loads exceeding single-crane capacity, we execute tandem lifts with synchronised crane operation.
Balance-of-plant (BOP) mechanical scope
Beyond the main boiler and turbine island, a power plant requires extensive mechanical, civil and piping infrastructure collectively called Balance of Plant (BOP). Many EPC contractors sub-contract BOP to multiple vendors — creating the same interface-gap problems that plague multi-vendor projects. HAIL delivers BOP as a single integrated scope:
- Fuel handling systems — coal/lignite handling plant structures, conveyors, crushers, feeders, bunkers, stacker-reclaimers foundations and associated piping.
- Water treatment plant — raw water clarifier, filtration, DM plant, condensate polishing, chemical dosing systems — complete civil, mechanical and piping.
- Cooling water system — CW pump house, CT basin, CW piping (large-bore), CT fan deck structure, make-up water system.
- Compressed air system — compressor foundations, air receiver tanks, distribution piping, instrument air dryers.
- Fire protection network — fire water tank, pump house, hydrant network, sprinkler systems, deluge systems, foam systems for oil areas.
- Fuel oil system — HFO/LDO storage tanks (per our petroleum tank capability), day tanks, heating systems, transfer pumps and atomising systems.
- Site infrastructure — roads, drains, cable trenches, pipe racks, equipment foundations, buildings and fencing.
Why HAIL for power plant construction
- Owned heavy-lift crane fleet — 200/100/50/20 MT cranes mobilised from HAIL's fleet. No third-party crane dependency that delays critical-path lifts.
- IBR and ASME-qualified welders — welders qualified for alloy steel (P11, P22, P91) high-pressure piping per IBR and ASME Section I/B31.1. Full pre-heat, PWHT and radiography capability.
- Structural steel fabrication workshop — 33,000 sq.ft. facility for fabrication of boiler house structures, pipe racks, platforms and support steel. IS 800 / AISC 360 compliant with documented MTR and WPS.
- Multi-discipline single contract — civil, structural steel, mechanical, piping, electrical, instrumentation, coatings and pre-commissioning under one PO. No interface gaps, no finger-pointing.
- Shutdown execution expertise — annual overhaul and turnaround capability with compressed-schedule execution, hot-work permits, confined-space entry and live-plant safety protocols.
- Track record across heavy industry — 2,000+ tanks, 300+ projects, including mechanical works at IOCL refineries, fertiliser complexes and chemical plants. Leadership experience with NTPC, Tata Power and Adani Power projects.
Frequently asked questions
What power plant services does HAIL provide?
HAIL provides mechanical and EPC services for power plants including boiler erection and tube installation, turbine and generator foundation construction, structural steel fabrication and erection for boiler houses and turbine halls, high-pressure steam piping per ASME B31.1, pressure vessel fabrication, ESP ductwork, cooling tower piping, ash handling systems, fuel oil storage tanks and balance-of-plant (BOP) mechanical works for thermal, captive and renewable power plants.
Does HAIL have heavy-lift capability for power plant equipment?
Yes. HAIL owns a crane fleet including 200 MT, 100 MT, 50 MT and 20 MT capacity cranes for heavy equipment erection in power plants. We perform engineered lift studies, ground bearing capacity assessments and multi-crane tandem lifts for generators, transformers, boiler drums, turbine components and heavy heat exchangers. Our track record includes 350+ ton lifts at 60-metre height inside live industrial facilities.
Can HAIL execute balance-of-plant (BOP) contracts?
Yes. HAIL delivers complete BOP mechanical scope including fuel handling systems, water treatment plants, cooling water piping, compressed air systems, fire protection networks, structural steel for plant buildings, equipment foundations, cable trays and site infrastructure. We integrate civil, mechanical, piping, electrical and instrumentation under one contract to eliminate interface gaps between disciplines.
Does HAIL work with major power sector clients?
Yes. HAIL serves power sector clients including NTPC, Tata Power, Adani Power, Reliance Power and captive power plants at major industrial complexes such as refineries and fertiliser facilities. Our leadership team has delivered power plant mechanical projects across multiple Indian states with proven experience in thermal, gas-based and captive cogeneration facilities.