ECIL bags top-shot German deal

The Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) will supply vital power converters that form the core part of the accelerator, which is coming up at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Germany.

Dubbed as a major initiative, it reflects the prowess of the Indian scientific community in developing highly complicated electronic instruments. The Hyderabad-based electronics and information technology manufacturing giant in the coming years will produce 750 such power converters to the FAIR accelerator. The accelerator is being built to produce matter that usually exist in the depth of space so that scientists can get insights into the structure of matter and the evolution of the solar system from the Big Bang to the present.

On Wednesday, the first lot of 67 power converters was flagged off from ECIL by Technical MD, FAIR Germany, Jorg Blaurock; and CMD of ECIL, Rear Admiral Sanjay Choubey. In the coming years, ECIL will manufacture 750 power converters worth Rs 100 crore and export them to FAIR accelerator.

The converters of ECIL will power the super conducting electro-magnets of the FAIR accelerator, which in turn produces high-energy beam particles. The ECIL power



converters provide high stability to the magnets, which is a prerequisite for the success of the accelerator.

The unique aspect of these power converters is that Indian researchers from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore; Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata; and ECIL came together to design, develop and manufacture these from scratch.

“We were just given specifications to manufacture such power converters. Our researchers started from scratch. This reflects the competence to develop, manufacture and deliver critical electronic equipment of international standards with indigenous technological strengths,” Rear Admiral Choubey said.

As part of the agreement, ECIL entered into a contract for the supply of power converters to Bose Institute of Kolkata, under the Department of Science and Technology, which coordinates with the Indian contribution to FAIR. India plays an important role in the construction of the FAIR facility. “We are contributing close to 36 million Euros (nearly Rs 276 crore) in the form of high technology equipment to the FAIR programme,” ECIL officials said.