ESB International has secured a €17 million contract with the Saudi Electricity Company to project-manage the construction of a highly efficient gas-fired Combined Cycle power plant in a developing region of Saudi Arabia. It has also been awarded an addition to its contract with Electricity and Water Authority of Bahrain, worth €12.5 million. The global engineering consultancy announced the new project, which is the latest in a series of recent major business wins, as it celebrates 40 years in international business. The four-year project will see 40 staff from ESB International working in the region throughout the period, as well as bringing 15 engineers from Saudi Arabia to Ireland for training. This is the latest in a number of initiatives undertaken for the Kingdom by ESB International stretching back to the consultancy’s beginnings. Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries that ESB International partnered with 40 years ago. Pat O’Doherty, ESB chief executive, said: “Announcing this exciting new contract with the Saudi Electricity Company on the occasion of the consultancy’s 40^th anniversary is very appropriate. Our ability to continue to win this level of business, in a very competitive market in a region that we have targeted for growth, is a testament to the experience and skills of ESB staff honed here in Ireland. “In winning this new business, we were pitched against some of the larger consulting firms from Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany and Switzerland, where we had the competitive advantage of understanding the challenges that energy utilities face." Through ESB International’s innovation, 50MW of integrated solar power will also be delivered as part of the generation project. The project, which will bring electricity to the equivalent of one million homes, will support Saudi Arabia’s vision to have a future that won’t solely be dependent upon fossil fuel.

Bahrain Electricity Transmission System Development project