June 17, 2007	Sunday	Jumadi-us-Sani 01, 1428

ALGIERS, June 16: French engineering group Alstom and US firm General Electric signed contracts worth a total 53.7 billion dinars ($767m) to build power stations in Algeria, state electricity company Sonelgaz said on Saturday.

Alstom was awarded a deal worth 29.7 billion dinars to construct a gas turbine in the western town of Relizane, while General Electric won contracts to build two power plants in Algiers and the eastern town of Annaba at a cost totalling 24 billion dinars, Sonelgaz Chief Executive Noureddine Boutarfa said.

“The signing of these contacts shows once again that the Algerian market remains attractive,” he said at the signing ceremony. Sonelgaz is the sole electricity producer and distributor in Algeria.—Reuters