In the framework of an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract, Bouygues Energies & Services will provide a “turnkey” power station, taking responsibility for design, construction and environmental impact studies, as well as the supply and commissioning of six 14-cylinder generator turbine units weighing 300 tonnes each (gas and oil). The contract also includes civil engineering, procurement of electrical and mechanical components, incorporation of a heat recovery system for exhaust gases, commissioning of the entire power plant, including testing, and connecting it to the grid.

Jean-Philippe Trin, Chairman of Bouygues Energies & Services, said: “This new contract proves the strength of Bouygues Energies & Services as a global operator on major energy-production infrastructures, whether through EPC contracts or O&M (operation and maintenance) contracts. This state-of-the-art power plant, known as a dual-fuel plant, will be capable of using gas or light fuel oil and will operate in cogeneration mode in order to be as efficient as possible. It will guarantee energy self-sufficiency for the Rock of Gibraltar’s 30,000 inhabitants for the next thirty years.”

Three oil-fired power stations, all dating back more than thirty years, are responsible for electricity production in Gibraltar today. The turbines are difficult to maintain and no longer comply with European standards on pollution and noise.

The solution proposed by Bouygues Energies & Services for the new state-of-the-art power station meets the specific needs of the Gibraltar Electricity Authority (GEA). The new installations will be constructed in a confined area close to urbanised zones, and works will be carried out without disrupting the operation of the existing power stations.

Site works, which will involve 150 employees at peak periods, will begin in August 2015, with handover scheduled for 2017. The design phase is currently getting under way.