Reliant Energy Selects HB Zachry to Construct 800MW Power Plant in Mississippi

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Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Inc.; Houston, Texas) has reported that construction has commenced on a $400 million 800MW (mega-watt) natural gas fired power plant in Choctaw County Mississippi for Reliant Energy Wholesale Group, a unit of Reliant Resources (NYSE: RRI) (Houston, Texas).

Zachry Construction Company Corporation (San Antonio Texas), a leading power plant constructor, is the General Contractor for the project that is scheduled to require 26 months to complete. The power plant is located near French Camp, Mississippi, 90 miles northeast of Jackson, and is expected to commence commercial operation by November 2003.

The plant will utilize three 184MW General Electric Frame 7 combustion turbines and a 300MW steam turbine. The air-cooled condenser will use only about three percent as much water as a water-cooled plant, minimizing the need for water. The facility will also utilize the best available technology to make it one of the cleanest, most efficient of its kind in the nation.

Transmission line interconnects for Entergy and Tennessee Valley Authority are near the site, making it possible to deliver power into either system without having incremental transmission costs.

Reliant Resources provides electricity and energy services to wholesale and retail customers in the U.S. and Europe. The company has nearly 20,000MW of power generation capacity in operation, under construction or under contract in the U.S. and is one of only five companies to rank among both the ten largest power marketers and the ten largest natural gas marketers in North America.