Alstom to retrofit generators at Belchatow in Poland, Europes largest coal-fired power plant

Global leader in power generation equipment and services, Alstom, has signed a contract with PGE Gornictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna S.A., which operates Belchatow, Europes largest coal-fired power plant, to retrofit six generators at the power plants units 7 to 12.

Alstoms generator retrofit will enable each units power output to be increased by over 20 megawatts (MW) bringing the units' power output to 390 MW, as well as extend the lifetime of the units by 25 years. The total output increase of the project will be more than 120 MW.

PGE began modernising Belchatow in 1997, and awarded Alstom a contract to retrofit the plants low pressure steam turbines. PGE has since continued its strategy concerning power plant modernisation and again contracted Alstom for the steam turbine retrofit of units 3-12, to ensure Belchatows compliance with EU emissions directives and to extend the lifetime of the units. In April 2009 Alstom won a contract to perform an integrated retrofit of the plants unit 6 and, in November 2010, Alstom was awarded a contract to retrofit the turbine island at units 7-12 of the power plant.

This contract is yet another endorsement to our market-leading retrofit solutions and reinforces our long and productive partnership with PGE. The multi-contract modernisation program we are working on with PGE, the first of its kind in Poland, is helping increase Belchatows output, cut its emissions and extend its lifetime economically and efficiently, said Hans Peter Meer, Senior Vice President for Thermal Services at Alstom Power.

Alstoms Polish factory in Wroclaw will engineer, supply and supervise the installation of the generators.

Press Contacts:
Alicia Montoya (Alstom Power) Tel: +41 56 556 33 20 - alicia.montoya@power.alstom.com
Dorota Januszkiewicz (Alstom Poland) - Tel: +48 55 239 22 22 - dorota.januszkiewicz@power.alstom.com