ESB INTERNATIONAL HAS announced two major achievements: winning its first contract in Turkey and completing a major stage in the energy project it is managing in Tanzania.
The official switching on of a new 132kV submarine interconnector from Tanzania to Zanzibar Island is taking place today.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, who is Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, is currently on a trade mission to Turkey and will be present at an event in Istanbul today where the details of the €30 million, six-year contract will be unveiled.
The contract is being undertaken in partnership with investment company UNIT and will see ESB International operate and maintain the Yeni Elektrik Power Station, located South West of Istanbul, Turkey. ESB International will also provide technical and engineering support to the plant.
ESB International and UNIT have formed a 50/50 joint venture company, UNES, to manage the contract for the plant.
Major player
The Tánaiste described ESB International as a “major player on the global stage” and said it is clear that ESBI has the skills to help Turkey to meet its fast-increasing energy demands.
John McSweeney, Head of Innovation at ESB said they believe the projects will impact positively on people’s lives in both Tanzania and Turkey. “The Turkish power plant is capable of generating up to 3 per cent of electricity consumption in Turkey and the expansion of the electricity infrastructure in Tanzania will transform people’s lives and offer new generations a bright future as it did in Ireland in the 1950′s,” he said.
In 2008, ESB International won an international competitive tender worth $25 million to provide energy sector consultancy services to the Millennium Challenge Account Tanzania (MCA-T) Energy Project.
The $200 million project is wholly funded by the US Government through MCA-T. It aims to ensure the long-term development of power transmission and distribution networks in Tanzania, where only 15 per cent of the population is connected to the national grid.
The company is also providing consultancy services for rural electrification schemes in seven regions across Tanzania.
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