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 in June. It will also retrofit existing steam turbines with leading edge technology. Approximately $300 million was invested in the new facility, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, US.
Alstom power president, Philippe Joubert said the new facility enhances Alstom’s ability to build and retrofit power generation equipment for customers in North America and beyond.
“Coupled with Alstom’s 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,” Mr Joubert said.
The Chattanooga factory is equipped with a balancing facility that allows it to manufacture the largest turbines in the world. 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 1000 tonnes. It will eventually create around 350 jobs.