Bagging one of the largest EPC order worth of R5,689 crore in the power sector for the financial year 2012-2013 for setting up a supercritical power plant in Rajasthan, Larsen and Toubro is bidding for R13,000 crore more orders for which tenders are already out, sources told FE.

Of a total capacity of around 2,800 MW, the projects are from public utilities in Malwa in Madhya Pradesh, Wanakbori in Gujarat and Bhusawal in Maharashtra.

The latest order announced on Monday, has been awarded by Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam for setting up a 2×660 MW supercritical thermal power project on a complete EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) basis. This is the country?s first complete EPC order for 2×660 MW supercritical units placed by a state utility on the private sector. The completion schedule for Unit 1 is 42 months, while 45 months for Unit 2.

?We are hoping to achieve more orders in the coming months as issues on availability of coal, water and environment clearances are getting ironed out,? Shailendra Roy, whole-time director and member of the board (corporate affairs and power), L&T, told reporters on Monday. ?In the last one year to a year and a half there were no orders coming in from the power sector given the ongoing issues, however, things are shaping up now,? Roy said.

In the new fiscal 2013-2014, around 8 more tenders are expected to be floated for power projects in India. According to sources these projects of around R40,000 crore include one project in Nasik, Maharashtra, three in Andhra Pradesh, two in Uttar Pradesh and two from NTPC. Sources also say that L&T has been selected as a L1 bidder in one of the NTPC projects.

L&T, which has joint ventures with Japan?s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the manufacture of supercritical boilers and turbines, expects the demand for advanced power equipments to go up in the near future as the power projects in the country adopt newer technologies. The company presently has a capacity to manufacture 5,000 MW of advanced boilers and turbines, with a capacity utilisation of 62%-65%.

Roy said after the latest order, the capacity utilisation will go up to 70%-75%, still leaving enough unutilised capacity for two to three more large orders.