National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd.(NTPC) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARCwill undertake collaborative research to develop and deliver automated boiler tube inspection system for coal-based thermal power plants.

This is a project to develop a prototype crawler for automated boiler tube inspection in coal-based power stations. NTPC Ltd. will supply inspection probes. BARC will develop the technology and assemble the prototype automated boiler tube inspection system in their robotic lab at BARC. The prototype will be tested in one of the NTPC power stations.

Preliminary estimated cost of this collaboration research project is Rs170 lakh and the total time envisaged for completion of this project is 26 months. Power minister Sushilkumar Shinde said this in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.