27th August 2003

HEART OF NORTHERN IRELAND 'S NEWEST POWER STATION ARRIVES
AT LISAHALLY PORT

The heaviest load to arrive in Lisahally Port was delivered today.  The delivery is another major milestone in the ongoing progress of building Northern Ireland 's newest and most efficient power station, the Coolkeeragh ESB plant.

The shipment consists of a gas turbine and generator weighing 580 tonnes, which will be installed at the state-of-the-art power station.

The plant will draw its natural gas supply from a new NorthWest gas pipeline to be constructed.

These are the key components in the construction of the power station, which is now well advanced.

The shipment was lifted using a jumbo ship with its own on board cranes.  It will be transported to the Coolkeeragh ESB by a special self-propelled modular transporter trailer in early September.  At the plant a specialist gantry (lifting system) will be used to install the equipment.

The Coolkeeragh ESB power station will be a combined cycle gas turbine plant involving an investment of Stg £150 million.  Powered by natural gas, the station will generate 400MW of electricity when completed.

Currently 260 people are working on the Coolkeeragh ESB construction site. The majority of the construction workforce is from the NorthWest.  Most of the work to date has been civil construction work with input from 20 local sub-contractors and suppliers.  These locally based companies have so far secured contracts to the value of Stg £20 million for work in connection with the project. The principal contractor is GE/VA TECH.

The turbine and generator, which were manufactured in France and the US , are being shipped in through Rotterdam . They were purchased from the leading manufacturer General Electric.

The power station is on target to be fully commercially operational in early 2005.

For further information contact :

Lyn Sheridan or Shane Finnegan

At Aiken PR Tel: 028 90 663000

Out of hours 07770584157 or 07764534565

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