Sustainable pumping and grid balancing for a greener India

Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL) is driving the clean energy transition with smart pumping systems, IoT integration and innovative grid-balancing technologies, thereby enhancing efficiency, reducing emissions and supporting long-term sustainability goals across sectors.

From IoT-enabled pump monitoring to pumps for thorium-based reactors and grid-balancing Pump As Turbine (PAT) systems, technologies are boosting efficiency, resilience and energy independence. This paves the way towards net-zero goals while reducing operational costs and environmental impact across sectors. Bhavesh Kansara from Kirloskar Brothers Limited speaks on the company’s initiatives in an exclusive interview with EPR.

How is the integration of smart grid technologies and IoT impacting the operational efficiency and real-time performance monitoring of pumping systems?

The integration of smart grids and IoT has become vital for pumping systems, offering significant benefits for both utilities and end-users. With smart grid connectivity, consumers can now understand real-time power consumption while producers gain deeper insights into power distribution. This two-way visibility enhances demand management, minimises grid failures and enables informed decision-making.

Speaking of cybersecurity, it is a crucial aspect of smart grids, particularly in IoTenabled pumping systems, since potential hacks can cause significant disruptions. The smart grid architecture incorporates layers of protection, making it essential for ensuring operational resilience.

We have developed the KiloSmartTM product entirely in-house, designed for seamless integration with existing pumps. Without altering the current installation, KiloSmartTM connects to the existing instruments via a splitter and transmits data to our server.

This enables real-time performance monitoring and early detection of issues, such as abnormal vibrations. Alerts are generated proactively, supporting preventive maintenance and reducing unplanned shutdowns. Through our subscription model, customers can purchase KiloSmartTM and rely on our engineering team for continuous monitoring, analysis and spare parts management. This eliminates the need for customers to maintain a large inventory, ensuring optimal pump health. 

Additionally, our solution helps in addressing design inefficiencies in the existing system and excess water demands, which enhances the power plant efficiency. For pumps in remote areas, our system offers crucial visibility. We also offer a virtual reality (VR) based pump maintenance tool allowing engineers to scan the equipment and receive step-bystep guidance on assembly, disassembly and component replacement, streamlining maintenance without requiring on-site presence. 

How are recent advancements in thermal power technologies influencing the design and efficiency requirements of your pumping systems?

We are recognized as the largest pump manufacturing company in India, playing a pivotal role in water, Irrigation, oil & gas and power projects. With a strong focus on infrastructure, water and power, we have made significant technological advancements, particularly in capacity building and metallurgy, to ensure longterm and sustainable performance. 

Sustainability is embedded in our design philosophy, long before efficiency became a major concern. We offer Lowest Life-cycle Cost (LCCTM) based products that enabled customers to achieve substantial savings over the product’s lifespan. Our products are complying to minimum efficiency index (MEI) as per EN16480 standard. Our LLC and end-suction series pumps are GreenPro Ecolabeled Certified.

One key example is our concrete volute pump (CVP) used in Thermal and Nuclear power plants for circulating water (CW), system that accounts for the secondhighest auxiliary power consumption. These pumps deliver sustainable efficiencies over longer period of time, than conventional vertical turbine pump, far exceeding industry norms and hydraulic institute (HI) stipulation about degradation of efficiency. 

Despite the low capital costs of other technologies, such as vertical turbine pumps, we advocate for LLCTM based evaluation, highlighting the higher operating costs that often go unnoticed in case of conventional products. Unfortunately, many power plants still don’t assess vendors on a 10-year LLCTM basis, a gap that needs urgent attention in the sustainability-driven landscape. The Concrete Volute Pump offers very high level of reliability to CW system, hence there is no need of stand-by pumps.

Our sustainable products are engineered to reduce carbon emissions, consume less energy and offer long operational lives of 30 to 40 years. This aligns perfectly with the future of green energy. We have already delivered concrete volute pumps to many thermal and nuclear power plants across India. To meet faster project timelines, we have reduced pump delivery time from 18-24 months to just 12 months through in-house manufacturing.

In line with new Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) environmental norms, we have also indigenously developed India’s first slurry re-circulation pumps using silicon carbide impeller, delivered to NTPC, Dadri. 

How are pumped storage and Pump as Turbine (PAT) technologies balancing the grid and converting water pressure into reliable, clean energy sources?

Hydropower plays a pivotal role in the global pursuit of net zero, especially as investments in solar and wind energy continue to grow. Solar power alone has witnessed a threefold growth over the past five years and is central to achieving the 100 GW renewable energy target. However, the intermittent nature of solar energy, especially due to its unavailability at night. This necessitates grid balancing through coal and hydro-based utilities. This is driving the development of pump storage hydro projects, which store excess solar power during the day and release it during peak demand hours. 

Pump storage systems, being large- scale infrastructure projects, are still in the execution phase in many parts of India, with only a few currently operational. At the same time, small hydro projects also hold significant promise. 

Moreover, we have been manufacturing pump as turbines for over a decade, steadily improving our technology and expanding applications. We actively engage with government departments, consultants and end-users, including water authorities and small hydropower plants, where adoption is gradually gaining momentum.

A notable example is renowned PSU in Hydro Power Generation upcoming pilot project in North Indian Hill State, which involves installing a Pump as Turbine (PAT) system for environmental water release. KBL PAT units, based on proven technology and high reliability, will be preferred for installation across all hydro power plants, ensuring that the environmental discharge from dams is effectively harnessed for energy generation. 

Also, many water departments currently use pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) to manage high inlet water pressure, which dissipates energy. We have introduced an innovative solution using our Pump as Turbine (PAT) scheme to convert this hydraulic pressure into electricity. This has already been successfully implemented in the Tansa Dam of Municipal Corporation of Greater (2017) Mumbai (MCGM) and in forest zones of Kerala, where dieselpowered systems costing up to Rs. 25/kWh have been replaced with cost-free clean energy alternatives.

How is India and KBL leveraging indigenous nuclear technologies to achieve energy independence and netzero goals?

Ten years ago, KBL achieved a significant milestone by receiving the ASME N and NPT certification enhancing its global nuclear supply chain credibility and we are in the process of ISO 19443 accreditation. India initially adopted Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) but soon advanced to designing Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). Further progress led to the development of Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs), with NPCIL/BHAVINI a wholly indigenous programme, with the first 500 MW power plant set up at Kalpakkam. These reactors utilise liquid sodium as a coolant, which is handled at 550°C, with a flow rate of 15,000 cubic meters per hour at a 75-meter head. Only Kirloskar Brothers Ltd. in Asia achieved this engineering feat. With abundant thorium reserves, India prioritizes the FBR programme, reducing dependence on imported uranium required for Pressurised water reactors. While India collaborates with other overseas OEM for uranium-based reactors, the focus must shift toward thorium and indigenous designs to achieve energy independence and accelerate net-zero targets. Nuclear energy, especially when integrated with hybrid renewable energy systems, offers the reliability needed to meet a country’s future power demands.

The PHWRs, including 700 MW plants in Rajasthan, Kaiga and Haryana, feature both primary and secondary systems. KBL plays a key role in manufacturing critical pumps for Primary and Secondary side of Nuclear Power Plant., particularly the metallic volute pump, which is essential for Circulating water applications.

To fast-track deployment, India is developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), branded as Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs), in collaboration with BARC and NPCIL. We have our new facility located within the existing manufacturing plant at Kirloskarvadi, near Sangli in Maharashtra, known as the Advanced Technology Product Division (ATPD). It focuses on the primary side of nuclear power plants. 

American, French, United Kingdom and Russian Nuclear OEMs are engaged with KBL. KBL is approved by these OEMs. India has a long-term vision for nuclear energy development; however, other countries are insufficiently equipped with the necessary personnel and resources to achieve nuclear energy goals. In contrast, India and KBL have the potential to move forward.