Steaming Forward

Contact Energy is to go ahead with the $623 million Te Mihi geothermal power project, having awarded the contract to engineering and construction management giant SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. in a joint venture with United States consultants Parsons Brinkerhoff and McConnell Dowell. Work on the 166 megawatt-project, to be constructed near the 52-year-old Wairakei geothermal station, north of Taupo, is to be completed by 2013. Contact also has consent to build the $400 million, 156 megawatt Waitahora wind project, near Dannevirke, but has not committed to building that yet.