PIC Energy Group Awarded Startup and Commissioning Contract for TransAlta Corporation's Chihuahua III Plant

Business Wire, Oct 21, 2002

Energy Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 2002

The PIC Energy Group (PIC), a leading provider of service solutions to the energy industry, announced today that it has been awarded a contract to provide full startup and commissioning services for TransAlta Corporation's Chihuahua III Power Plant in Chihuahua, Mexico.

PIC will immediately supply a startup team in Mexico for the 259-megawatt, gas-fired project, while publications, documentation, procedures, start-up schedules and turnover packages will be developed at PIC's global headquarters in Marietta (Atlanta) Georgia.

"We were awarded this contract because the managed program we offered fit TransAlta's specific needs," said Perry Novak, President of PIC Energy Group. "They required a complete turnkey solution, and PIC's breadth and depth of experience across multiple disciplines enabled us to provide that in an extremely competitive manner."

TransAlta Corporation (TSX: TA)(NYSE: TAC) is Canada's largest non-regulated electric generation and marketing company, with more than $7 billion in assets and 9,000 megawatts of capacity in operation or under construction. TransAlta operates the world's largest fleet of GE LM6000 gas turbines.

The PIC Energy Group, headquartered in Marietta (Atlanta), Georgia, and established in 1988, is a leader in providing global service solutions to the energy industry. The company offers full third party O&M and outage services, turnkey commissioning, startup, construction services, and complete staffing solutions for all aspects of project development and execution. From petrochemical and refining to power generation, from concept to execution, PIC provides value-added services with a focus on quality, safety and optimum results. With over 2,500 projects executed worldwide in over 75 countries, PIC offers global service solutions for a wide range of domestic and international projects. PIC serves its customers from its corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia, and has offices in Houston, Texas; Zurich, Switzerland; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Caracas, Venezuela.