McConnell Dowell, SNC-Lavalin and Parsons Brinckerhoff consortium prove winning formula for Contact Energy.

Contact Energy has awarded the contract to develop its 166 megawatt Te Mihi geothermal project in New Zealand to a consortium of partners including McConnell Dowell, SNC-Lavalin and Parsons Brinckerhoff New Zealand.

McConnell Dowell has been a long time participant in the energy sector, which commenced with the development of the Huntly Power Station in New Zealand in 1977.  The company’s energy sector experience includes coal, gas, hydro, geothermal and wind farms.

McConnell Dowell’s general manager, Roger McRae, said that Contact Energy’s commitment to the development of new and sustainable power generation solutions was what made it one of New Zealand’s leading energy generators and retailers.

“Geothermal energy is literally using the heat from deep inside the earth to generate electricity. It’s renewable, capable of generating large amounts of electricity and, unlike wind and hydro generation, doesn’t depend on the weather,” said Mr McRae.

Contact Energy will replace the 52 year old Wairakei Power Station with a new power station at Te Mihi, which will be powered with steam from the Wairakei steamfield and produce enough renewable energy to power up to 350,000 homes. The Te Mihi power station will gradually replace the Wairakei Power Station which will be phased out of production.

Contact Energy managing director, David Baldwin, said Te Mihi was further evidence of Contact Energy’s commitment to renewable energy and a diversified generation portfolio to ensure the security of electricity supply for New Zealand.

“Geothermal energy is New Zealand’s most strategically important energy resource,” said Mr Baldwin.

About Contact Energy’s Te Mihi geothermal project

McConnell Dowell Constructors Ltd, SNC-Lavalin and Parsons Brinckerhoff New Zealand have been awarded the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the development of Contact Energy’s 166 megawatt Te Mihi geothermal project in New Zealand.

The Te Mihi geothermal project will be completed in 2013 and at 166 megawatts, represents a net increase from the combined Te Mihi and Wairakei stations of 114 megawatts. This reflects Contact Energy’s commitment to the development of new and sustainable power generation solutions and its view that geothermal is New Zealand’s most cost-effective new base load generation.
 

ENDS

About McConnell Dowell Corporation Limited:

McConnell Dowell is a major engineering, construction, building and maintenance contractor delivering infrastructure to the building, mining, oil & gas, power, petrochemical, social & public infrastructure, transport and water sectors.

The Group has a broad construction offering with complete multi-discipline capability in building, civil, fabrication, electrical and mechanical works and are engineering and construction specialists in pipeline, tunnelling, marine and rail construction.