Overseas power

has awarded German-based

a contract worth more than €750m (£579m) for the construction of six overseas power plants.

The order is the largest in the company’s history and will include the delivery of 54 large, 18V48/60 diesel engines with a total power output of 1,025MW. The plants are scheduled to go live from 2010 till 2012.

A critical factor in awarding the contract was Man Diesel’s capacity to provide engine and turnkey power plant technology that will conform to strict levels of fuel consumption, noise and exhaust emissions.

To ensure these levels are met the engines will include a SCR catalytic converter which uses urea injection to reduce production of oxides of nitrogen.

Man Diesel will construct three of the diesel power stations in the company’s Départements Réunion, Guadeloupe and Martinique, as well as two power plants in Corsica and one in French Guyana.

All six power stations will act as the primary source of electrical energy for the local power grid. The generating sets will produce an output of around 18.5MW (around 25,100 HP) and weigh 375 tons.

Man Diesel is acting as the consortium leader for the project. The two other partners are Clemessy for electrical equipment and Eiffage for construction work.