Canadian engineering and construction company SNC-Lavalin Group said yesterday that it would acquire Tipperary-based energy services provider Kentz Corp for about £1.164bn (€1.45bn) in cash to expand its offerings in the oil and gas sector.

With a blue chip client base of some of the world’s top oil, gas and mining companies, and with its work backlog valued at $2.73bn, engineering group Kentz is confident about its growth plans, CEO Christian Brown tells John Daly

The new €240 million West Offaly Power Station at Shannonbridge, the largest peat burning facility of its kind in the world, has been shut down for safety reasons with losses to Bord na Móna of €5 million.

INTERNATIONAL accountancy firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) last night refused to comment on how it failed for several years to detect breaches of employment law at Gama Construction.