OPPD awards CB&I $75 million plant-services contract

CB&I said on Monday that Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) awarded it a $75 million contract to handle maintenance, modifications and supplemental labor at the utility's fossil-fuel and nuclear plants in Nebraska.

"This contract underscores CB&I's expertise and capabilities in power maintenance," Chip Ray, president of CB&I's Capital Services operating group, said. "CB&I is committed to working with Omaha Public Power District to ensure the highest levels of performance, quality and safety."

CB&I specializes in multiple facets of energy and power infrastructure and solutions. It offers engineering, design, construction, fabrication, maintenance and environmental services.

OPPD services approximately 360,682 customers, both residential and commercial, throughout 13 counties in the southeast region of Nebraska. In 2014, the utility reported an energy-output capacity at 3,232.1 megawatts and approximately 18 million megawatt hours sold during the year.

In a fact sheet the OPPD has released, projections indicate how its generation of power will be diversified. By 2018, the utility aims to increase the amount of energy that is produced through renewable and hydroelectric means to 33 percent. Nuclear will make up approximately 33 percent, and natural gas, oil and coal combined will make up 34 percent. By 2023, the breakdown is expected to be 35 percent nuclear, 15 percent coal, 17 percent natural gas and oil, and 33 percent renewable and hydroelectric power.