Alstom Unveils New £4m Service Centre

The Mayor of Stafford, Malcolm T Millichap and Alstom UKs Country President, Steve Burgin, visited engineering giant Alstom Grids Lichfield Road site on Thursday 12th May as part of a Customer Open Day event to officially unveil a new Service Centre following a £4 million investment programme.

The Service Centre offers a full repair, refurbishment and redesign service for transformers and high voltage electrical plant for Alstom Grid customers throughout the UK, northern Europe and Nordic countries for electrical networks. The 2,000sq.m facility has been completely refurbished with the latest generation test equipment and is thought to be the most comprehensive after sales facility in the UK for transformer technology.

Customers already utilising its services include National Grid, British Energy (EDF), Rio Tinto, TATA Steel and Alstom Transport for refurbishments, upgrades and repairs.

Gary Jones, Managing Director of Alstom Grids UK Service business, says: With a dedicated workshop we can offer a range of solutions to meet our customers repair and refurbishment requirements, to upgrade equipment to better suit current or future networks and extend the life of the equipment. Transformers are vital to large power networks and when they function incorrectly or fail, diagnostic assistance is needed fast, followed by the quickest possible repairs.

Alstom Grids service solutions include maintenance, repair and emergency support; erection, commissioning and supervision; retrofit and upgrade; long-term operation and maintenance contracts; spare parts and spare parts management; renovation, modernisation and extension; network consulting and training at its own Alstom Grid Technical Institutes.

Steve Burgin adds: "We are really pleased that Alstom is continuing to invest in our UK business. The investment in our service centre forms part of a much larger programme in Alstom's operations in Stafford over the coming years, which will help to position our Grid business to lead global improvements in the development of sustainable smart grid solutions.

Events such as this allow us to work closely with our customers to help them get the best from their existing equipment, at a time when security of supply in the energy industry is under scrutiny."

Performing the official unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the opening of the facility, The Mayor of Stafford, Malcolm T Millichip stated that, Alstom offered a shining light for the people of Stafford and the new facility demonstrated the great workmanship which is evident throughout its operations in Stafford.

Alstom Grid employs 1,400 people within Stafford and is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure.

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• Stafford, Alstom Grid
• Grid