Saudi-based Al-Toukhi Company for Industry, Trading and Contracting has signed an agreement with Poyry Energy, a Swiss-based company, to co-operate on engineering, procurement and contracting (EPC) projects.

The deal paves way for Al-Toukhi to tap into Poyry’s project management and consulting engineering expertise, said the duo after signing the pact.

Mazin Al-Alami, president of Al-Toukhi and Nico Kruger, Poyry Energy regional director, Middle East and Southern Africa signed the agreement.

The agreement comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is witnessing a tremendous growth in the power sector and related projects prompted by increased demand due to population growth and economic expansion.

'Coupled with sector privatization, mega Saudi power projects will be a major player in the utilities expansion for years to come. Al-Toukhi will tap into Poyry’s expertise in preparing, proposing and executing such EPC projects.

'The long-term trend we are seeing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to expand the infrastructure of power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure on the one hand calls for an overhauling of the modus operandi of EPC contractors to meet the anticipated sector growth on the other.'

'This is the main driver behind our joint effort with Pöyry, which boasts international expertise and strong sector know-how along with local project knowledge,” commented Al-Alami after signing the pact.

'The Saudi market is undergoing a transformation in the power sector given the need to improve the efficiency of current generation by upgrading open cycle to combined cycle generation, build thermal power plants as well as implement overhead high-voltage transmission line projects.'

'This and other areas create fertile co-operation ground for our company and Al-Toukhi to team up on EPC projects,” Kruger added.-TradeArabia News Service