Alstom opens in Chattanooga, USA, a state-of-the-art turbine manufacturing facility to address the North American power generation market
Alstom opens in Chattanooga, USA, a state-of-the-art turbine manufacturing facility to address the North American power generation market
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On 24 June 2010, Alstom inaugurated a new production facility for steam turbines, gas turbines, large turbo-generators and related equipment for the North American fossil fuel and nuclear power generation market. It will also retrofit existing steam turbines with leading edge technology.
The new facility, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, results from an investment of approximately $300 million. It will eventually create around 350 jobs.
Alstom Power President Philippe Joubert said: Our new Chattanooga factory dramatically enhances Alstoms ability to build and retrofit power generation equipment for customers in North America and beyond. Coupled with Alstoms recent investments in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and wind turbine production in the US, this unit represents another important step in executing our clean power strategy.
The Chattanooga factory is equipped with a balancing facility that allows it to manufacture the largest turbines in the world, Alstoms ARABELLE 1,700 MW class nuclear steam turbine. The turbo-generator components will also be manufactured in this facility. Its size is particularly relevant to the nuclear industry, both for retrofitting existing equipment to make it more efficient or building the equipment that will be needed for the next generation of power plants.
Chattanooga is an ideal place for the manufacture of large power generation equipment because of its central location in the country and its excellent access to road, rail and waterways. The facility features an on-site barge dock with a lifting capacity of up to 1,000 tons.
The Alstom facility was expanded in line with the requirements for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification a US benchmark for high performance green buildings. For example, demolition debris was re-used, insulated sidings and roofs were installed, skylights will substantially reduce electricity consumption for lighting, process heat will be recovered to improve the efficiency of the HVAC system and rain water will be collected to irrigate the landscape.
Alstom already operates turbine manufacturing facilities notably in France, Germany, Switzerland and China. Alstom's expansion of its Chattanooga facility is consistent with the company's larger clean power strategy in the US and worldwide. As part of that strategy, Alstom last month announced plans to build a wind power assembly facility in Amarillo, Texas, that will position the Group as a major player able to meet the needs of the growing North American wind power market.
*Pro forma figures
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