Alstom

Alstom, SA
Type Public (Euronext: ALO)
Founded 1928 (Alsthom)
Headquarters Levallois-Perret, France
Key people Patrick Kron (Chairman of the board and CEO)
Industry Engineering, manufacturing, technologies & transport
Products Equipment and services for power generation and transport
Revenue €16.91 billion (year to Mar 2008)[1]
Operating income €1.295 billion (yr - Mar 08)[1]
Profit €852 million (yr - Mar 08)[1]
Employees 76,000 (2008)[1]
Website www.alstom.com

Alstom (Euronext: ALO) is a large French multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2007-'08 Alstom had annual sales of over €16.9 billion, and employed more than 76,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are located in Levallois-Perret, near Paris.

The current CEO is Patrick Kron.

Alstom is a world leader in hydroelectric power generation; in conventional islands for nuclear power plants; and in environmental control systems. It also a producer of very high speed trains and of high speed trains, being the manufacturer of the AGV, TGV, and Eurostar series, as well as of Citadis trams. Alstom is also present in the urban transport market, and is behind regional train models, signalling infrastructure equipment, and a number of associated services.

Contents

Financial information

Alstom has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since June 22 1998. The Group has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since November 17 2003, and on the New York Stock Exchange since August 2004. When the markets closed on December 31 2005, its market capitalization was € 6.7 billion. Market capitalization as of March 9 2007 was € 13.6 billion.

History

Alstom's history
Year
    Points of note
1928 The beginning of Alsthom was from the merger of Thomson-Houston and Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (SACM), with its 1st factory in Belfort.
1932 Alsthom acquires Constructions Electriques de France, Tarbes, a manufacturer of electric locomotives as well as electrical and hydraulic equipment. Transport thus becomes a part of Alsthom
1969 Compagnie Générale d'Electricité (CGE) becomes majority shareholder of Alsthom
1976 The Group merges with Chantiers de l’Atlantique to become Alsthom Atlantique, bringing Marine into Alsthom’s portfolio.
1977 Alsthom constructs the 1st 1300MW generator set for the Paluel power station which set a world record with an output of 1500 MW.
1978 The first TGV is delivered to SNCF. The TGV went on to break world rail speed records in 1981 (380 km/h) and 1990 (515,3 km/h ), and achieved the world endurance record for high speed train lines in 2001, travelling from Calais to Marseille (1067.2km) in 3 hours and 29 mins.
1986 The Alsthom Belfort site receives an order from EDF for the largest gas turbine in the world (212MW)
1989 GEC ALSTHOM is formed from the merger of the power and transport activities of Compagnie Générale d'Electricité (CGE) and the UK GEC. France’s market was no longer sufficient, so the merger was to enable ALSTHOM to export into Europe.
1994 LHB Salzgitter joins GEC Alsthom
1995 Outstanding shares in MAN Energie (steam turbines) are acquired
1998
  • GEC Alsthom acquired Cegelec (electrical contracting)
  • June: the Group is introduced on to the Paris Stock Exchange and changes its name from GEC ALSTHOM to ALSTOM. GEC and Alcatel sell off part of their stakes in the capital (23,6% each).
1998 ALSTOM acquires Sasib Railways (Italy), which also adds the former General Railway Signal (USA)
1999 ALSTOM acquires the Canadian Télécité Inc., a worldwide Centre of Excellence in passenger information and security solutions ALSTOM and ABB merge their energy businesses in a 50-50 joint company known as ABB ALSTOM POWER. In a parallel move, ALSTOM sells its heavy duty gas turbine business to General Electric of the US
2000 ALSTOM acquires ABB’s share in ABB ALSTOM POWER.

ALSTOM acquires a 51% stake in FIAT FERROVIARIA, the Italian rail manufacturer and world leader in tilting technology.

2001 ALSTOM launches ALSTOM Power Rentals a fast track emergency and temporary power rental provider
2002 ALSTOM Power Rentals first contract supplies 20MW of electrical power facility to Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka
2003 ALSTOM supplies the highest capacity automated metro in the world to Singapore
2004 January: ALSTOM sells its T&D activities to Areva.
  • The French State takes up a 21% stake in ALSTOM’s capital to support the recovery of the company.
  • ALSTOM delivers the Queen Mary 2, the world’s largest cruise liner, to Cunard.
2004 ALSTOM sells ALSTOM Power Rentals to APR LLC later becoming APR Energy LLC
2005 ALSTOM sells its Power Conversion activity to Barclays Private Equity
2005/2006 GT 24/26 turbines achieve 1.5 million operating hours and major sales to countries such as Italy, Germany, Spain and Thailand demonstrating the Group’s return to the gas turbine market with a technologically advanced product.
2006 ALSTOM sells its Marine Division to the Norwegian group Aker Yards. ALSTOM commits itself to keeping 25% of the shares until 2010.

On 27 April, ALSTOM signs a cooperation framework agreement with Bouygues, the French conglomerate, for the purchase of the 21% stake in ALSTOM that the French government held. Later in the year, Bouygues increase it's shareholding to 24%. ALSTOM launches major clean coal technology initiative with the EU.

2007
  • Following a new Graphic Chart, the Group name is now written "Alstom", with the exception of the legal entities which are written with ALSTOM in capitals, e.g. ALSTOM S.A.
  • April: on a test run in France, TGV Est set the world speed record for rail vehicles of 574.8 km/h

Power generation

Alstom power activities include the design, manufacturing, services and supply of products and systems for the power generation sector and industrial markets. The group covers all energy sources - gas, coal, nuclear, hydro, wind. Alstom supplies and maintains all components of a power plant and provides complete turnkey solutions. During the financial year 2007/08, Alstom Power sales amounted to 11.4 billion euros.

Products

- Boilers - Steam turbines, gas turbines - Turbogenerators and generators - Air quality control systems - Monitoring and control systems for power plants

Turnkey solutions

- Gas-fired power plants - Coal-fired (steam) power plants - Conventional islands for nuclear power plants - Hydroelectric power plants - Wind farms

Services

- Product retrofitting - Maintenance and services - Refurbishment of existing plants

References

The company supplied major equipment for 25% of the worldwide existing power plants. Recently, the group won a contract for the turnkey construction of two coal-fired power plants in South Africa.

In France, Alstom is currently providing the "conventional island" (turbogenerator unit) of Flamanville 3, the third generation of nuclear power plants.

The group participated in the largest hydropower projects in the world like the Three Gorges Dam in China and Itaipu in Brazil.

In May 2008, the company signed a frame agreement with Iberdrola to supply around 300MW of wind turbines.

In the emirate of Fujairah (United Arab Emirates), an Alstom-led consortium won a contract to build a 2,000 MW gas-fired power and desalination plant including a long term maintenance contract.

Transport

Alstom Transport develops and markets a complete range of systems, equipment and service in the railway industry. With a market share of 18% and sales of 5.3 billion euros, the company is number 1 in very high-speed trains, number 2 in tramways and metros, and is among the leaders for electrical and diesel trains, information systems, traction systems, power supply systems and track work. Alstom Transport is present in 60 countries with 26,000 employees.

Products

The product range includes High and Very High Speed Trains, Trams, Metros, Commuter Trains, Intercity Trains, Tilting trains, Locomotives.

Alstom designs, produces and installs infrastructure for the rail network to upgrade safety and performance of existing networks, or as part of new turnkey solutions. This includes Information solutions, Electrification, Communication systems, Track laying, Station utilities, Workshops & depots.

The company provides light rail systems including tramways with or without electric overhead lines, metro systems and air-rail links (traditional and automatic).

Renovations with technological upgrades and short- or long-term maintenance of any type or brand of mass transit rail vehicle, and spare parts service are also offered.

Major references

Products

Alstom's products include:

Passenger rail vehicles

Railway signalling equipment

Rail clients

Innovation

Alstom continuously designs and produces new processes, products and services. Alstom increased R&D investment by 21% in financial year 2007/08.

Alstom’s innovation examples:

See also

Competitors

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Annual Report 2007". Alstom. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.

External links