Italian engineering company Trevi Finanziaria Industriale's order portfolio could rise to 1.2 billion euros ($1.7 billion) by the end of the year, driven by emerging markets, its CFO said on Tuesday.

We have some chances... 1.1, 1.2 billion is an extremely significant size. We believe we have opportunities to go back and even exceed these levels before Christmas, Daniele Forti told Reuters before a presentation of first-half results.

In August Trevi, which specialises in foundation works where it competes with UK's Keller and Germany's Bauer, posted a 55.8 percent rise in first-half net profit to 51.3 million euros.

Its order book a the end of June fell 5.8 percent to 917.1 million euros compared with a year earlier.

Trevi has won orders to repair dams in the U.S. and raise New Orleans levees after damage from Hurricane Katrina. Shares in Trevi closed up 2.73 percent at 11.65 euros. By 1505 GMT, the DJ Stoxx construction and building materials index .SXOP was up 0.3 percent.

(Reporting by Danilo Masoni; Editing by David Cowell)

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