A Stokesley engineering design firm is recruiting additional staff after winning a major contract to build a power station.

Nepco Europe, on Stokesley industrial estate, is to design and build an electricity generating station on the Isle of Man.

The firm has 120 workers but that number is set to rise to about 200 by next year, in response to the new contract with the Manx Electricity Authority.

The combined cycle gas turbine power station has been designed by an architect to fit into with its surrounding landscape.

The Stokesley firm will oversee the project and work with construction company Alden, site preparation specialists Caxios and architects' practice Savage and Chadwick - which are all based on the Isle of Man. However, where the turbines will be manufactured is not yet known. Mr George Sayers, of Nepco, said the firm, which is owned by Enron, hoped to be able to announce this next week.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Sayers said: "One of the reasons we are based in Stokesley is that it is quite a good area for recruitment. Most of our staff live within a 15 or 20-mile radius of here and many have worked at other Enron sites, such as Teesside power plant.

"We have started recruiting for this new project, as we were actually awarded the contract towards the end of July. However, our human resources department is still looking at applicants.

"We provide engineering services, designs and drawings to the power industry. The majority of our staff are engineers, draughtsmen and CAD operators. Through subcontractors, we will also take on construction workers for the Isle of Man work.

"We are quite proud of the fact that the majority of our employees are from the region. Since we set up in Stokesley last year, our workforce has grown quite rapidly from 30 to 120 and our offices have grown from 3,600 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft.

"Things are going pretty well and we are quite buoyant. Many of these power contracts have a long gestation period. They can take two or three years to design and another three years to build. However, this contract is fairly fast-track and is expected to last 17 months.

"The Isle of Man power station is designed by architects and it will be quite a sight when it is built - there is a lot of glass in the design," he explained.

Transporting equipment to the island would be a big challenge. Work should start shortly, and, on completion, Nepco would retain a presence on the island for two years, continuing to monitor operations and provide expert advice.