PPL orders scrubbers

today announced that its Shaw Stone & Webster unit has been awarded engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects by

, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation, to retrofit three of PPL's coal-fired generating units at two plants with pollution controls.

In February 2005, PPL announced its intent to invest in pollution controls at its Montour and Brunner Island facilities. Shaw Stone & Webster has been selected to install flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units at two generating units at PPL's Montour power plant and at the largest generating unit at the Brunner Island location.

According to a statement, the FGD units, also known as "scrubbers," will remove at least 97 percent of the sulphur dioxide emitted from the generating units.

The projects, including both locations, are expected to create approximately 800 jobs during the construction phase, as well as additional permanent positions once operation of the scrubbers begins.

Engineering is already in progress and construction on the projects is expected to begin in 2006. Completion for the Montour location is expected in spring 2008 and in the autumn of2008 for

. The value of the project awards was not disclosed.