The ESB has won an £8 million contract to help build a hydroelectric power plant in Iceland, the company said last night. The work will be carried out by ESB International, the overseas arm of the State-owned company. Another Irish company, PACS of Carlow, will also participate. "The contract was won in open competition against some of the major international power companies, including Siemens, and involves the construction of a 140 MW hydro plant at Sultartangi," the company said.
The power station is being built for the Icelandic national power company, which is owned by the state and by the capital, Reykjavik. Iceland has a population of around 270,000, half of which live in the capital.
The ESB's £8 million portion of the contract includes the engineering design, material procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of a sub-station, transformers and cables associated with the new power plant.
ESB International said its project team was headed by Mr Brian Cronly of its construction division and involved the engineering and power divisions.
The contract represents a boost for the company's overseas section, which now describes itself as Ireland's largest international consultancy firm. ESBI employs more than 600 people and has projects in 35 countries.
In May, ESB International was awarded a £5.7 million, three-year contract to manage and operate a power station in Ghana. Under the contract with the Volta River, the company will also provide training services. The Takoradi power plant uses similar technology to that of the ESB's North Wall, Marina and Aghada plants.
At the start of the year, ESB International began work on a £1 million contract in Moscow to assist in the development of the Russian power sector. The company is also providing expertise to the main Russian energy utilities.
In Britain, it runs a power plant at Corby in which it also holds a 20 per cent stake. It is building two independent power stations in Pakistan, assisting the Russian state of Karelia to develop its hydro power resources and is installing its own power system in the Palestinian-controlled West Bank and Gaza strip.
