RPG Group company KEC International Ltd has won the single-largest order in its company history. In consortium with Saudi Arabia-based Al Sharif Group, the Rs 482-crore ($120.73 million) contract from Saudi Electric Company is for constructing a 380kV transmission line on turnkey basis. The 268-km line will be associated with the Shoaibah-2 power plant.
For KEC, this is the third order from Saudi Arabia in recent times. In November 2007, it had won a 123-km 380kV transmission line contract from Saudi Arabian Mining Company. The 22-month contract is scheduled for completion in the last quarter of 2009. In June last year, it had won a Rs 95 crore contract from SEC for a 58-km 380kV transmission line on the outskirts of Riyadh
Speaking to Projectmonitor, a spokesperson of Mumbai-based KEC International Ltd said that the company's outstanding order book position currently stood at Rs 5,075 crore, including L1 positions. Over two-thirds of the order book is from overseas orders that accounted for Rs 3,418 crore (including L1 positions). Domestic orders constituted the remaining Rs 1,657 crore.

New local order
Closely following the Saudi Arabia order, KEC International Ltd also announced the winning of contracts from Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Co. Ltd for a 220kV line from Dewas to Ashta (128 km) and line-in line-out at Jabalpur on the 150-km Brisinghpur-Amarkantak transmission line, on turnkey basis. The contracts form part of an ADB-assisted project and are scheduled to complete by July 2009.