$22 million contract awarded for Washoe geothermal work

A Virginia company has won a $22 million contract to build a geothermal plant in northern Washoe County.

Science Applications International Corp. of McLean, Va., said it won the contract from U.S. Geothermal Inc. of Boise to build the San Emidio geothermal project just south of Gerlach.

The project is expected to extend over 15 months.

The San Emidio project includes relocation and reconstruction of an existing plant that was built in 1986. The reconstructed plant would have capacity of 11.5 megawatts, approximately triple its current production.

Science Applications International is providing a project loan to finance the first phase of the development.

A second phase involves construction of a 26-megawatt expansion of geothermal production from the property.

U.S. Geothermal is negotiating a contract to sell the additional production to NV Energy.

TAS Energy Inc. of Houston will build the equipment for the modular plant.