L&T, BHEL and Korea's Doosan queue up for Rs 14,000-crore NTPC JV order

Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Heavy Electricals and Korea’s Doosan are in race for a Rs 14,000-crore order from NTPC Ltd’s arm to supply equipment and set up its 3x800-MW coal-based plant as part of the company’s expansion project at Patratu in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, according to an official at one of the bidders.

The successful bidder will have to execute the project on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis. Shortlisted candidates — that'll be selected on the basis of technical qualifications — will have to submit financial bids. The entire process is expected to take three months, the official said.

The 2,400-MW plant is part of the phase-I expansion at the site. The second phase of the expansion, to be undertaken after the commissioning of the first one and dismantling of the existing units, will comprise two units of 800 MW each.

The project belongs to Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Nigam, a 74:26 joint venture between NTPC and Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam. The Patratu plant was built almost 70 years ago and comprised 10 units with a total capacity of 840 MW. The units had a rating of 40 MW, 90 MW, 105 MW and 110 MW.

At the time NTPC took over the unit last year, only one unit of 105 MW was operational. Setting the expansion project aside, it is proposed to revive and operate total of 325 MW at those units.

The Jharkhand government transferred the project to the joint venture company, formed in 2015, to run the existing capacity and undertake the expansion.

Currently, Patratu happens to be NTPC’s only EPC complete plant package tender that is under process. The bidding companies would thus be keenly eyeing the order in a market — thermal power equipment — that has little to offer to manufacturers.