$500 million retrofit

announced yesterday that its Shaw Stone and Webster unit and consortium partner,

, have been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by

to retrofit the coal-fired generating units at Duke's Belews Creek power plant in

.

The flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units, also known as "scrubbers," will be designed to reduce as much as 95 percent of the sulphur dioxide emitted from the plant.

Shaw will perform the majority of the project's engineering, procurement and construction. Alstom will design, engineer and procure the FGD equipment.

The project is scheduled to be completed in 2008. The total value of the project, including equipment, is estimated to be approximately $500 million.