Skip to main content

Herrenknecht’s benefits from Indian orders

German company Herrenknecht says that in recent months it has received 18 orders from India for tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for projects to expand metro networks in the Indian cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, and for water supply schemes. Earlier this year an Indian record of 525m of drilled and secured tunnel was achieved in one month on the Veligonda water project (state of Andhra Pradesh) with a Herrenknecht Double Shield TBM (diameter 7.9m). The 18km Veligonda Tunnel is part of a sche
November 30, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

German company  Herrenknecht says that in recent months it has received 18 orders from India for tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for projects to expand metro networks in the Indian cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, and for water supply schemes.

Earlier this year an Indian record of 525m of drilled and secured tunnel was achieved in one month on the Veligonda water project (state of Andhra Pradesh) with a 2592 Herrenknecht Double Shield TBM (diameter 7.9m). The 18km Veligonda Tunnel is part of a scheme to pipe water from the Srisailam Dam on the River Krishna over a distance of about 100km. The tunnel, being built by the Nuziveedu Swathi Coastal Consortium, is being constructed using a Herrenknecht Double Shield TBM (Ø 7.9m).

“India is one of the world's largest economies, and there is a demand for metro systems, through which the high traffic volumes in the heavily built-up cities can be rerouted underground,” says Herrenknecht.

The EPB (earth pressure balance) shields (Ø 6.35m–6.6m) are being used to create a total of 71km of tunnels for mass transit systems.

In March 2012 the 1042 Italian-Thai Development Public Co began tunnelling with the first two of four Herrenknecht machines for the metro in Kolkata, while in Delhi two TBMs started work for Pratibha Industries. In July one of the TBMs completed its first intermediate breakthrough.

In Chennai, eight TBMs will excavate more than 38km of tunnels for new metro lines, while in Mumbai the existing water supply network is being renewed and expanded, and a total of three Herrenknecht TBMs (Ø 2.8m– 6.2m) drilled or are drilling over 16km of drinking water tunnels.

To mark the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and India, a Year of Germany in India is currently taking place, and during the Urban Mela series of events, Herrenknecht presented its portfolio covering all aspects of mechanised tunnelling in Chennai.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Mumbai tunnel supply deal for Herrenknecht
    December 20, 2024
    German firm Herrenknecht has scored a major order for the Mumbai Coastal Road project in India.
  • German minister oversees huge Herrenknecht TBM tunnel deal for Wuhan, China
    April 28, 2014
    German Minister of Economy and Energy, Sigmar Gabriel, attended the signing of a prized contract for the delivery of two Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines (TBM) for a large multi-functional tunnel in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
  • Herrenknecht’s Alice heads back underground at Waterview
    December 19, 2014
    Alice, one of world's largest tunnel boring machines, has started its second tunnel drive for the Waterview Connection project in Auckland, New Zealand. The 90m-long, 3100tonne tunnel borer completed the first twin tunnel, at 2.4km, in September after 11 months of digging, as World Highways reported at the time. The machine has a boring diameter of 14.46m and its cutting wheel is driven by 24 electric motors with a total output of 8,400kW.
  • New tunnelling technology offering greater efficiency
    January 4, 2017
    Tunnelling technology is seeing major developments that will boost construction efficiency - Mike Woof writes Both in tunnel drilling and TBM systems, new machines are now being built that offer major gains in performance. Sandvik is introducing a number of major new models developments to its tunnelling drill range. Three new tunnelling jumbos are now available that suit different drilling requirements, the DD422iE, DT912D and DT922i. The firm says that its advanced DD422iE rig offers major advantage