State-run SAIL has invited bids from reputed agencies to get the power consumption pattern of its five steel plants audited, a move which may help the units become more energy efficient.

According to the country's largest steelmaker, it wants to rope in such agencies to provide an overall energy audit at its Bhilai , Durgapur , Rourkela , Burnpur and Bokaro integrated steel plants within three months from the date of the award of the tender.

"SAIL intends to appoint a reputed Energy Auditing Agency to provide over-all energy auditing services," the firm said, adding that auditing would be in the areas, including coke oven and power plants and utilities like compressed air, water among others.

It has fixed a deadline of eight months from the award of the audit work for a detailed report. The interested auditing agencies have to submit their bids by November 3, it added.

The units are undertaking a Rs 70,000-crore expansion programme to take its capacity to about 23 million tonnes (MT) by 2013 from the present 14 MT and this audit exercise would help the company in cutting its operating cost.

An energy audit is a preliminary activity towards instituting energy efficiency programmes in an establishment and consist of activities that seek to identify conservation opportunities preliminary to the development of an energy savings program.

The state-owned firm consumes about 1,180 MW of power at present, which is expected to grow to around 1,900 MW by 2012-13.