Alstom lands this week the first part for Santo Antonio plant

The first part for Santo Antonio, plant being built on Madeira river, arrives on Friday, 10, to the state of Rondônia.

The suction tube, designed and built by Alstom, is the first electromechanical equipment of the works, which will have a 271 km² reservoir and will be the third largest plant in the country in assured energy (value that can be hired), with an installed potency of 3,150 megawatts.

The equipment was produced at the Taubaté factory, which represents Alstoms largest manufacturing unit for hydroelectric plants in the world. The unit can produce a wide range of products, such as turbines of all sizes, generators for several applications, hydromechanical equipment and small hydroelectric plants. Taubaté supplies the hydroelectric market in Brazil and Latin America, besides using its capacity and long-time experience to export projects.

The production of the equipment followed the anticipation of the works and was concluded six months before the original schedule. Our purpose is to anticipate the delivery of the parts as much as possible, so that the plant starts operating as soon as possible and bring its benefits to Brazilians in the shortest term, says Marcos Costa, vice-president of Power for Alstom Brazil and Latin America.

The suction tube is one of the main parts of the turbine and is located at the equipments water outlet. The model delivered in Santo Antonio is ideal for turbines of the Bulb type, which are proper for the design of reservoirs with low falls and strong discharges, a characteristic of the region of Madeira river. The turbines to be installed in these plants will be the largest of the Bulb type in the world. Hundreds of these units, manufactured by Alstom, are in operation in other places. Some examples are Canoas I and II, in São Paulo, Igarapava, in Minas Gerais, Rock Island, United States, Chautagne/Belley, in France, Qiao Gong and Tong wan, China. The other main references of Alstom in Brazil include the Itaipu, Tucuruí and Porto Primavera plants.

The second electromechanical part for Santo Antonio, which will also be delivered by Alstom, will leave the factory by the end of the month. The company is responsible for 19 turbines of the project, 22 generators, besides the hydromechanical and lifting equipment, which will be supplied by a new factory under construction in Porto Velho, named Indústria Metalúrgica e Mecânica da Amazônia (IMMA). IMMA is a joint venture formed between Alstom Hydro and Bardella, a Brazilian capital goods company. Dedicated mainly to projects in the Amazon region, it should come into full operation in late 2009 and will open around 300 job positions.

About Alstom

Alstom is the worlds leader in power generation and transmission and railway transport, and a worldwide reference in innovative technologies showing respect for the environment. Alstom builds the fastest trains and the largest capacity automated metros in the world, supplies integrated power generating plants, the associated services for the various power sources, such as hydro-electricity, gas, coal, nuclear and wind power generation, as well as also developing ultra-high voltage equipment, direct current interconnections, in addition to managing electric power networks and integrating renewable power sources to existing networks. The Group employs some 96,000 people in 70 countries and recorded sales of 23 billion Euros in the 2009/2010 period (not considering the Power Transmission sector, recently aggregated to the Group).

In Brazil, Alstom has marked its presence over the last 55 years and is currently staffed by 5,000 direct employees, working in seven units installed in the states of Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Rondonia. In 2011, the Company will be operating its 8th unit in the Country, in the State of Bahia.

INFORMATION TO PRESS

Communications Director of Alstom Brasil: Juliana Souza
juliana.souza@crn.alstom.com / Phone: (11) 3612 7071

Press Relations: CDN Comunicação Corporativa
Mariana Maciel: mariana.maciel@cdn.com.br / Phone: (11) 3643-2734
Fernanda Sobral: fernanda.sobral@cdn.com.br / Phone: (11) 3643-2789