|
A resurgent Alstom will be pursuing a conservative approach to future product development based on proven technology, a spokesman said yesterday. The Franco Swiss group continues to make steady progress but the chastening experience of recent year's technical and financial problems has led to a more cautious approach in future.
Speaking at a brief briefing held in Cologne to coincide with the POWER-GEN Europe conference and exhibition, Juerg Schmidli, vice president gas turbines for Alstom explained the new approach: "The choice is between revolution or evolution. Alstom has chosen the more conservative way. We plan to improve our existing range of offerings in steps by evolution and not by launching new products at this stage." Schmidli said that new developments to improve efficiency, environmental performance and to optimise economics would be based on operational experience
Guy Chardon, senior vice president and general manager of Alstom's Power Turbo-Systems group said that problems with the GT24/26 gas turbines were now all solved and that the company's restructuring plans were close to completion. Figures for the last financial year showed both sales and orders up eight per cent to g12.4bn and15.3bn respectively. Alstom's operating margin was 5.6 per cent and the group recorded a net profit of g178m against a loss of g628m for the previous year.
Chardon said that spending on research and development had increased by five per cent to g349m and that the company had recruited 2500 new engineers and managers.
Alstom's power industry business accounts for around two thirds of its business. Describing itself as a fully-fledged power plant integrator, Alstom is present in almost all areas of power generation technology with the exception of wind power. Alstom say that they are investigating the wind market and would consider an investment if the right fit was found.
Both Alstom chairman and CEO Patrick Kron and Philippe Joubert were visitors to POWER-GEN Europe this week. The significance of Kron's appearance was not lost on a colleague of his who commented: "It is a sign of Alstom's improved health that Patrick Kron is able to come to a show like POWER-GEN Europe rather than spend all his time with the financiers and accountants."
At the press conference, Alstom announced it had won a g17m contract from Vattenfall to build the first carbon-free demonstration plant in the world utilizing oxygen combustion technology. The 30 MW plant will be located at Schwarze Pumpe, in Brandenburg, Germany.
| 
Articles 
| View all PennWell sites | View all PennWell events
Add RSS Feed
