Alstom and Dow Collaborate to Combat Climate Change: A New
Advanced Amine CO2 Capture Pilot Plant in West Virginia

Alstom will design, construct and operate the pilot plant,
which is expected to capture approximately 1,800 tons per year
of CO2 from flue gas using Alstoms and Dows
advanced amine technology. Dow will provide the site and
utilities, as well as the chemicals and its amine technology
expertise for this project. The pilot plant is expected to be
operational by 3Q 09.

We are thrilled to be part of this groundbreaking
project in CO2 capture, said Janet Giesselman, President
and General Manager of Dow Oil & Gas. This
technology has immense potentialfor the local community,
industry, environment and our business. Developing advanced
amine technology will provide sustainable energy solutions now
and into the future.

Coal, which represents over two thirds of the
worlds power generation, is and will continue to be an
essential part of the worlds energy mix, said
Philippe Joubert, Alstom Executive Vice President and President
of Alstom Power. But only by reducing its CO2 output can
coal remain a viable source of power generation. Our
cooperation with Dow further demonstrates our leadership and
commitment in this field, as well as providing the validation
we need to launch our amine-based CO2 capture technology on a
commercial scale.

All the coal used in the pilot will be sourced locally in
West Virginia. By constructing a facility capable of capturing
CO2, Alstom and Dow will help assure that coal remains an
important and sustainable part of the United States
energy security.

This project is an important element of Dows 2015
sustainability goals. According to Vice President of
Sustainability, Neil Hawkins, Dow is committed to
providing solutions that improve energy efficiency, promote
renewable energy, improve the environmental performance of our
existing energy sources, and enable carbon capture and
sequestration. Dow is a leader in bringing these solutions
forward.

In 2008, Dow and Alstom entered into a Joint Development
Agreement to develop advanced amine technology for CO2 capture.
Currently, Alstom is working with Dow to develop a commercial
offering of an advanced amine-based scrubbing technology for
industrial sources that produce exhaust or flue gases
containing CO2 and high levels of oxygen. The new process will
significantly reduce the amount of energy required for CO2
separation and capture. The West Virginia pilot plant will
validate this new technology

About Dow

With annual sales of $58 billion and 46,000 employees
worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines
the power of science and technology with the "Human
Element to constantly improve what is essential to human
progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and
services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting
chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability
to help provide everything from fresh water, food and
pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care
products.


References to Dow or the Company
mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries
unless otherwise expressly noted. The Union Carbide Company is
a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. More
information about Dow can be found at
www.dow.com.

About Dow Oil & Gas

Dow Oil & Gas serves customers across the global oil and
gas industry, addressing changing operations and business needs
with a growing range of integrated technology and specialty
chemical and material solutions. Backed by the proven resources
of Dow, this growing team of experienced professionals works
collaboratively with customers to leverage Dow's unmatched
molecular expertise and global footprint to offer meaningful
answers to today's oil and gas industry challenges. More
information can be found at
www.dowoilandgas.com

About Alstom

Alstom is at the forefront of carbon capture technology
development. In 2007 and 2008, as part of its multi-product
strategy, Alstom announced agreements with AEP, Statoil,
Vattenfall, E.ON and PGE Elektrownia to test CO2 capture
technologies in the U.S. and Europe. To date, Alstom has
started operation at three CO2 capture pilot projects, with
EPRI and We Energies in Wisconsin, USA, E.ON in Sweden and
Vattenfall in Germany. This year, Alstom plans to recruit
between 60 and 100 staff to work on the CCS demonstration
projects in which it will be involved.

Alstom (www.alstom.com) is a global leader in the world of
power generation and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark
for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies.
Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity
automated metro in the world, and provides