Alstom, a global leader in power generation, plans to build the largest new manufacturing facility Chattanooga has recruited in more than a decade. The project, which represents an investment in excess of $200 million, is Alstom’s first U.S. power generation facility. It will create over 350 new jobs and reinvigorate Chattanooga’s leadership as a maker of power generation equipment.

The new facility will manufacture steam turbines, gas turbines, generators and related equipment for use in U.S. power generation facilities. The plant will also produce new steam turbines for fossil and nuclear applications and will retrofit existing steam turbines with up-to-date technology.

“This is a significant investment by Alstom in Chattanooga to expand our manufacturing and engineering capacity in the U.S., and it will position us to take advantage of the nuclear renaissance in this country,” said Guy Chardon, senior vice president of the Turbomachines group of Alstom Power Systems. “It is widely recognized that nuclear energy offers a carbon-free, efficient and viable alternative for meeting the increasing demand for energy in the U.S.”

In November 2007 Alstom announced that it had been selected by UniStar Nuclear Energy (UNE) to provide at least four steam turbine generators for UNE’s planned fleet of nuclear power plants in the U.S. Alstom plans to manufacture turbines for UniStar at its Chattanooga facility.

“This new facility will also enable Alstom to produce in the U.S. the large and very efficient ultra-supercritical fossil steam turbines that are part of the response to the growing concerns regarding the greenhouse gas emissions generated by burning coal,” Chardon said.
 

The new facility will be located adjacent to Alstom’s existing Chattanooga plant on Riverfront Parkway. The existing plant provides boiler solutions to the company’s utility, industrial and pulp and paper customers. Although the existing Alstom plant shares customers with the new operation, the two businesses will be operated independently with separate management, different products, employees and organizational structure.

Plans call for the redevelopment of the Alstom campus through a partnership with the City of Chattanooga and the Trust for Public Land that would create green spaces on the site and extend the Tennessee Riverwalk to connect with the Alstom campus.

“We determined that Chattanooga is an ideal location for us to invest in expanding our manufacturing and engineering capacity in the U.S.,” Chardon said. “The city has an excellent transportation infrastructure, and it is an almost perfectly central location from which to deliver large, heavy steam turbines to current and planned nuclear and other power plants all across the U.S.”

“Alstom is already a major employer and a valued member of our business community,” said Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey, “but this announcement represents a bold new day for advanced manufacturing in Chattanooga. In years to come, I believe this day will be remembered as a milestone in our effort to leverage our region’s tremendous manufacturing heritage to position this community as a location of choice for highly successful businesses and highly skilled people alike.”

According to Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, Alstom’s investment will be transformational for Chattanooga. “Mayor Ramsey and I had the opportunity to tour the Alstom facilities in Switzerland and France,” Littlefield said. “Having seen what Alstom has planned for its new Chattanooga operation, I believe that this project will continue the dramatic redevelopment of our waterfront begun with the 21st Century Waterfront Plan.”

“Because the products Alstom will manufacture here are essential to America’s bid to be more energy independent, I believe that this project heralds strong growth for our region’s energy-related industries,” said Trevor Hamilton, vice president of economic development for the Chamber. “Alstom’s investment is another major step towards achieving our goal of creating and sustaining more rapid economic growth in our region.”

Alstom currently employs 1,220 Tennesseans, including 620 workers at the Chattanooga facility and 600 workers at their Knoxville facility. With operations in 70 countries, Alstom is a provider of clean, efficient and technologically advanced power generation solutions in all key energy markets.

The world’s No. 1 supplier of nuclear steam turbine systems, Alstom has installed more than 178 units worldwide, meaning that more than 30 percent of the entire worldwide nuclear installed base uses Alstom equipment.