The ESB's international arm has won a major contract to advise the Vietnamese authorities on a new power plant in Ho Chi Minh city.
The contract is valued at about €3 million and brings ESB International's investments in southeast Asia to more than €20 million. The international company, known as ESBI, will advise on the construction of the plant.
ESB said yesterday the contract was highly significant because it would allow ESBI to cement its position in Vietnam, a country with a population of 83 million. The country is currently undergoing a strong economic resurgence with growth of 8.4 per cent in 2005, ranking it second to China among Asia's fastest growing economies.
Staff from ESBI will provide consultancy services, including technical design, to the Nhon Trach 1 combined cycle power plant in Ho Chi Minh city. The new 450 megawatt power station is owned by GPPMB - a subsidiary of PetroVietnam, the state-owned oil and gas company. Under the two-year contract, ESBI will provide services to this company during tender evaluation and contract negotiations. In addition, ESBI will supervise the plant's construction and commissioning.
Michael McNicholas, executive director, ESBI, said: "We are very pleased to be awarded this contract. This further consolidates our position in Vietnam where we have had a presence for the last 20 years. It also underpins our interest in southeast Asia where ESBI has several major projects in our portfolio."
The projects in the region include a € 4.5 million contract for the provision of consultancy services, including technical project design, for the Hai Phong coal-fired power plant east of Hanoi. This plant will have a capacity of 600 megawatts. In addition, ESBI is responsible for the preparation of the construction contract specifications, tender evaluation and contract negotiation.
The company also won a €9 million contract for the operation, management and maintenance of a large coal-fired power station at Manjung in Malaysia. The plant is owned by a subsidiary company of the national electricity company of Malaysia.
ESBI is also contracted to manage the operation and maintenance of a gas-fired plant and industrial park at Kulim in Malaysia.
It won a €5 million contract for the provision of engineering advisory services for the construction of the 1,200 megawatt Tanjung Jati coal-fired plant on Java in Indonesia. The client is Sumitomo Corporation - a major Japanese investment house.
In 2005, ESBI completed the construction of an 800 megawatt gas-fired power plant in Spain and a 400 megawatt station at Coolkeeragh in Northern Ireland.
ESBI has operations and projects in more than 25 countries. Since its establishment 27 years ago, it has completed projects in more than 115 countries.
