Belco took the opportunity of its 100th birthday on Friday to confirm a link-up with a global consultancy group to plan energy production for the next 20 years.

Mott MacDonald Pettit has been awarded a five-year technical services contract to provide engineering, management and specialist advice on the expansion of Bermuda?s generating facilities.

According to that company, the programme is likely to commence in 2007 and will include planning for the replacement of ageing diesel generators. It will also work towards meeting the Island?s forecast 1.5 percent annual increase in energy demand over the next 20 years.

Mott MacDonal Pettit, which has dual bases for the Bermuda project in Dublin, Ireland and Brighton, England, will also look at how energy generation can be distributed across the Island, renewable energy sources, and how to meet future tighter environmental regulations.

The initial work will involve examining the layout of the company?s Pembroke plant to develop a master plan for meeting future growth and coping with the need to replace ageing equipment. Some of the current diesel generators are more than 20 years old.

Project manager Brian Kinsella said: ?We?re delighted to be assisting Belco on this prestigious project. This is a continuation of the successful relationship that the Group has had with Belco since the early 1980s. Mott MacDonald is one of the world?s leading power consultants with a wealth of expertise across the whole power spectrum. We?re looking forward to putting it into practice on this strategic energy project for Bermuda.?

Belco vice president Linda Smith Wilson told a recent sustainable development forum that the company has met with many different groups this year, from Cabinet down to work on a document outlining energy issues for the next 20 years.

An agreement was signed earlier this year with Current to Current Bermuda Limited to purchase ten megawatts of renewable energy which will be generated by ocean currents. This should be underway from the end of next year.

?We have severe space constraints at our Serpentine Road plant site, and are looking at options for distributed generation at other locations where we can use a by-product from another function to produce electricity, for instance steam from the Tynes Bay incineration plant,? said Mrs. Smith Wilson.

The news came as Belco celebrated the 100th anniversary of its first meeting of shareholders.

A number of projects have been initiated to celebrate, including the donation of $100,000 towards the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo?s planned new Hospital and Diagnostic Treatment Centre, and a commemorative stamp released earlier this year.

Saturday night was expected to see the private launch of an exhibit called The Progress of Power at the Maritime Museumsat, which will then be open to the public.

Hundreds of photographs found at the company HQ have also been used to tell the story of the company in an anniversary book.