‘The penetration of energy efficient motors remains low in India’
Published on : Monday 30-11--0001
Interview with P L Muthusekkar as Managing Director at NORD Drivesystems Pvt Ltd.
In spite of government mandate, the industry still has a huge number of old motors. What prevents users from switching over to energy efficient motors?
Energy efficiency brings a competitive advantage. Improving energy efficiency contributes significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions arising from fossil-fuel generated electricity. The concept of High Efficiency Motors (HEMs) is well known in India, however, its practice and adoption is another matter altogether. The penetration of energy efficient motors remains low in India and at the same time, below IE1 motors have a substantial market share.
India adopted focused market transformation approach through Updating Standards which are harmonised to global standards With support of supply chain create awareness among the industrial end users to switch to IE2 and IE3 energy efficient motors and adopting revised standards educate decision makers of motor purchases on the aspects of the life cycle cost basis against the low first cost basis capacity building of the end use engineers in making a right selection of high and improved efficiency motors through training workshops, facilitating tools and technical support.
Promoting new technology (copper rotors die casting technology) through workshops and also participating in technological events on motors and pumps by contributing with technical articles in magazine and journals around the world, energy demands are growing at a rapid pace, with developing countries outranking industrialised nations in projected increases in electricity consumption. Energy efficiency allows countries to conserve natural resources and significantly reduces greenhouse gases and emissions, which is necessary for countries to try to meet Kyoto Protocol levels. It also saves money by reducing costs while providing many industries with a competitive advantage.
As a company at the forefront of cutting edge solutions in motors and drives. What are the advantages NORD Drivesystems offers the users?
The advantages offered by NORD Drivesystems can be summed up briefly as:
- Industry 4.0 ready products with premium energy efficiency
- Total cost of ownership and value for money, and
- Ready to fit solutions like decentralised drive, field distribution system, etc., avoid panel, cabling, etc., locally mounted, space and time saving.
What are the main user industries that form the customer base of NORD Drivesystems in India?
The main user industries are construction, infra, food and beverage, logistic and automation, material handling, etc. Our product goes into various industries and enormous applications.
Infrastructure related industries are among the main customers. Has the pace in this segment kept with the expectations?
Cordially, infra has been the biggest driver and replaced all the industries.
How has the company scaled up in India after establishing its formal presence in 2005?
We have grown enormously from few hundred geared motors a year to 40,000/annum and grown by leaps and bounds in terms of sector and application penetration.
What is the exact nature of operations in India – just assembly or manufacturing as well?
NORD Drivesystems Pvt Ltd is the subsidiary of Getriebebau NORD in Germany. We have a full-fledged assembly unit in Hinjewadi, Pune. We are assembling motors, gearboxes and electronic products drives. Almost over 90% of the NORD range of products could be assembled and supported by full fledge service too.
What is the USP of NORD Drivesystems in a market that is highly competitive with several strong players?
The USP of NORD Drivesystems is best explained by the following points:
- Energy Efficient – NORD Drivesystems are environmentally friendly and help reduce operating costs and minimise CO2 emissions.
- Reliable – Reliability is our main focus when developing our drive solutions. All of our system components are precisely matched to each other and ensure smooth operation.
- Tried-and-Tested – Demanding ambient conditions are common in the bulk material industry. This includes large temperature fluctuations, abrasive environments, and rough operating conditions. The reliability and cost-effectiveness of NORD solutions for these challenges have proven themselves in the bulk material industry throughout the world.
To summarise – Total cost of ownership by saving in oil replacement, energy, maintenance shut down and long life, etc.
India is a large county – how effective is the NORD Drivesystems network in terms of the geographical coverage?
NORD Drivesystems have presence in all major cities like Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Mumbai, Jamshedpur, etc. We also have a strong dealer network across the India and SAARC countries.