In the last ten-day period of April, 2004, India's West Bengal invited international public biddings for three thermal power projects. Companies from India, China, Japan, France and Czech bought bidding papers. The Dongfang Electric Company of China bid for the Sagardighi 2×300MW project and Durgapur 1×300MW project. After intense competitions, the two tender entities awarded the orders of the projects to the Dongfang Electric Company separately. The formal contracts, totaled USD 520 million, were signed on August 26.

The tender entity of the Sagardighi project was the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd, and the tender entity of the Durgapur project was the Durgapur Projects Limited.