Greek engineer Metka, part of Mytilineos Group, said on Thursday it had signed a contract to build a 724 megawatt thermal power station in Syria, as it expands abroad to counter the crisis at home.

A joint venture between Metka, with a 77 per cent stake, and Italian group Ansaldo STS had been declared preferred bidders for the 671 million euro ($934 million) contract last year.

It was the second power station contract the two companies have won in Syria. In June 2009, they signed a contract for the construction of a 700 megawatts thermal plant south of Damascus.

Metka is chasing projects in the Balkans and the Middle East where it expected economic growth and power shortages to fuel investments in energy infrastructure. – Reuters