VANCOUVER, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Plutonic Power Corporation (TSX: PCC), together with its partner, GE Energy Financial Services, executed a fixed-price construction contract with Peter Kiewit Sons Co. (Kiewit) for the construction of the 196 MW Toba Montrose run-of-river hydroelectric project, which includes the development of two powerhouses with intakes, penstocks and a corresponding transmission line. The signing of the approximately $500 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract allows Kiewit to move ahead to the next stages after the initial rejuvenation and construction of forestry roads and bridges to the powerhouse site that had begun in July 2007.
"Execution of the EPC contract is a significant milestone for the Toba Montrose General Partnership as it provides price, date and performance certainty for our lenders, stakeholders and members of the community," said Donald McInnes, President of Plutonic Power. "Kiewit has an exceptional reputation in building utility scale run-of-river projects at environmentally sensitive sites. They have an extremely good safety and on-time track record as well as a history of working well with local communities and First Nations. We are proud to have Kiewit's skills and expertise on a project that will help return BC to electricity self-sufficient status and reduce our reliance on non-renewable imported energy."
"We are pleased to be moving forward with the engineering, procurement and construction phases of this environmentally safe and commercially viable run-of-river hydroelectric power project," said Mark Tonner, Managing Director at GE Energy Financial Services in Canada. "This investment expands our renewable energy portfolio with one of the most environmentally friendly energy technologies, aligns with GE's ecomagination initiative, and helps Plutonic and its customers achieve their sustainability and economic goals." Ecomagination is GE's initiative to help its customers meet their environmental challenges while expanding its own portfolio of cleaner energy products.
"Plutonic has provided leadership in the development of clean, renewable energy projects in BC by moving this project from concept to reality, something we are proud to be a part of," said Greg Dixon, Vice President of Peter Kiewit Sons Company. "Kiewit is working closely with Plutonic, the local community and its First Nation partners to implement innovative programs that more closely link the local workforce and local expertise during the construction phase of the project."
Finalization of the complete financing package from lenders for this project is scheduled for mid to late October. Commercial operation of the Toba site is expected by mid 2010 and Montrose by late 2010.
About Plutonic Power Corporation
Plutonic Power is an emerging renewable energy producer in British Columbia. Its proposed 34 development projects have a design capacity of approximately 1,700 MW with the potential to generate approximately 5,500 GWh per annum of green energy, enough energy to meet the annual needs of about 550,000 homes. Included in the 34 projects is the creation of the Green Power Corridor, a series of non-storage hydroelectric projects in southwestern BC, which hold the potential to catapult British Columbia to the forefront of green energy generation in North America. The completion of the Green Power Corridor could create over 4,500 person years of construction employment.
Plutonic is committed to becoming the pre-eminent supplier of green energy in British Columbia by working with First Nations, stakeholder groups and local communities in the development of all its run-of-river projects. This commitment will help British Columbia realize its goal of becoming electricity self-sufficient by 2016 and meet demand utilizing 90% clean generation sources.
About GE Energy Financial Services
GE Energy Financial Services' 350 experts invest globally with a long-term view, backed by the best of GE's technical know-how and financial strength, across the capital spectrum and the energy and water industries, to help their customers and GE grow. With $14 billion in assets, GE Energy Financial Services, based in Stamford, Connecticut, invests more than $5 billion annually in two of the world's most capital-intensive industries, energy and water. In renewable energy, GE Energy Financial Services is growing its portfolio of more than $2 billion in assets in wind, solar, biomass, hydro and geothermal power. More information: www.geenergyfinancialservices.com.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is Imagination at Work -- a diversified technology, media and financial services company focused on solving some of the world's toughest problems. With products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content and advanced materials, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.ge.com.
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ContactsPlutonic Power Corporation
Elisha Moreno, 604-669-4999
[email protected]
www.plutonic.ca
or
GE Energy Financial Services
Ken Koprowski, 203-961-5743
[email protected]
Andy Katell
GE Energy Financial Services Senior Vice President Communications
[email protected]
1-203-961-5773