Group Five, the South African construction and engineering company, has received a US$62-million contract to design, supply and install a 130-megawatt power station in Abia State's capital Aba.

The plant will consist of three General Electric gas turbines, fuelled by natural gas. An existing gas pipeline into Aba makes the city a perfect location for the power station.

All work will be done on behalf of Geometric Power Limited, a Nigerian private sector company operating power plants.

Group Five chief executive, Mike Upton, said the contract sealed the company's successful entry into the independent African power market. In 2005 the company also completed the first stage of a new power station in Akwa Ibom State

Aba has a large number of industries that require reliable power supply.