Alstom and BrightSource Energy Step Up Solar Partnership
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October 20, 2010 - Alstom and BrightSource Energy today announced a business partnership agreement to provide solar thermal power plants in particular in the Mediterranean ring and Africa. The agreement brings together Alstoms extensive experience in the field of turnkey power plants and key power equipment (such as steam turbines) with BrightSources Luz Power Powersolar thermal technology. The agreement follows Alstoms $55 million investment in BrightSource Energy in May this year.
Philippe Joubert, President of Alstom Power, said: This partnership is a further step in Alstoms commitment to solar thermal power, alongside its strong renewable power portfolio in hydro and wind power.
John Woolard, CEO of BrightSource Energy, remarked, Todays agreements reflect the growing global demand for highly efficient, reliable and environmentally-responsible solar power plants. With decades of experience building power plants in these regions, Alstom is an ideal partner as we expand into these markets.
BrightSource Energys proven LPT technology produces electricity the same way as fossil fuel power plants by creating high temperature steam to turn a conventional turbine. However, instead of using fossil fuel sources, the company uses thousands of small mirrors called heliostats to directly reflect sunlight onto a boiler at the top of a tower to produce the high temperature steam. Once the electricity is created, the steam is air-cooled and piped back into the system in a closed-loop, environmentally friendly process. The result is carbon-free power, but with many of the reliability characteristics found in traditional power plants.
Mark Coxon, Alstom Powers Senior Vice President Finance, commented: This is the next step in Alstom and BrightSources relationship. Alstoms plant integration experience and state-of-the-art power generation equipment in combination with BrightSources solar field and tower based technology will allow us to develop fully integrated solar power plants tailored to specific customer requirements. Mark Coxon has recently joined the Board of Directors of BrightSource Energy.
About Alstom
Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids. The Group employs 96,500 people in more than 70 countries, and had sales of over 23 billion* in 2009/10.*Pro forma figures
About BrightSource Energy Inc.
BrightSource Energy, Inc. provides clean, reliable and low cost solar energy for utility and industrial companies worldwide. The BrightSource Energy team combines nearly three decades of experience designing, building and operating the worlds largest solar energy plants with world-class project development capabilities. The company now has contracted to sell 2,600 megawatts of power to be generated using its proprietary solar thermal technology. BrightSource Energys solar plants are designed to minimize their impact on the environment and help customers reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Headquartered in Oakland, California, BrightSource Energy is a privately held company with operations in the United States, Israel, and Australia. To learn more about BrightSource Energy and solar thermal energy, visit www.brightsourceenergy.com.
Alstom Press Contacts
Philippe Kasse, Stéphane Farhi (Alstom Corporate) - Tel +33 1 41 49 29 82 /33 08
philippe.kasse@chq.alstom.com, stephane.farhi@chq.alstom.com
Tim Brown (Alstom U.S.) - Tel. +1 860 713 9530 - timothy.s.brown@power.alstom.com
Alicia Montoya (Alstom Power) - Tel. +41 (56) 556 33 20 - alicia.montoya@power.alstom.com
Alstom Investor Relations
Emmanuelle Châtelain (Alstom Investor Relations) - Tel + 33 1 41 49 37 38 - investor.relations@chq.alstom.com
Alstom Websites: www.alstom.com, www.power.alstom.com
BrightSource Energy Inc. Press Contacts
Kristin Hunter
kristin.Hunter@hillandknowlton.com
Tel +1 415 281-7161