Alstom has surprised a team of journalists from India and France by opening the largest rotor balancing facility in the world.

With a big, long tunnel at the floor level having huge contraptions with a big steam turbine situated within it, Alstom plans to produce steam turbines for nuclear and coal-fired electricity generating purposes.

Claiming it to be the world's largest rotor, the team explains how they first close the tunnel on the Tennessee river, then create a vacuum before they start spinning the turbines, at a rate of 4,500 rpm. Around 22 metres long and 8 metres wide rotors can be tested in this tunnel.

With this facility, the factory plans to produce the world's biggest nuclear steam turbine, and their advanced welding technology is one of the main technologies which enable the rotors to have a strong resistance against corrosion, thereby increasing its longetivity.

The main priority of the factory's production is to manufacture rotors. To facilitate ferrying of machine tools, around 600 metres of underground tunnels are available to the factory.