Bechtel announced that the company has been awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction contract for the Panda Temple II Generating Station, a 758-megawatt natural gas-fueled, combined-cycle power plant in Temple, Texas, south of Dallas. This is the third power facility to be built by Bechtel and consortium partner Siemens for Panda Power Funds. The consortium is also designing and building the Panda Temple I Generating Station, which is adjacent to Panda Temple II, and the Panda Sherman Power Project in Sherman, TX.

All three projects are identical in size, and when completed, will be among the most efficient natural gas-fueled power plants in the U.S. Bechtel will be responsible for project management, engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning of the Panda Temple II facility. Siemens will provide the power-island package, including the natural gas and steam turbines, and waste heat recovery boilers. Once completed at the end of 2015, the power generating station will be able to supply the power needs of approximately 750,000 homes in the Central Texas area.

Approximately 700-800 jobs will be created to construct the Temple II plant at peak construction.