Alstom launches its latest smart solutions at CIGRE 2012

Alstom actively participates in the biennial worldwide forum of the electrical power industry, CIGRE , held in Paris, France, between 27 and 31 August 2012. During this edition, Alstom will showcase its latest innovative solutions for the power grid of the future, notably across five product launches.

Alstom develops Smart Grid systems by interconnecting all equipment and players on the grid, Supergrid projects by transporting large amounts of electricity across energy highways, and new-generation digital substations instantly analysing and regulating the electricity passing through the substation. To support its customers in deploying these technologies, Alstom provides services and support through network consulting, condition monitoring analysis and knowledge management.

CIGRE 2012 is a great opportunity for us to highlight our smart solutions, as we commit ourselves to a sustainable future and take our next step in building the smart grid of tomorrow, said Grégoire Poux-Guillaume, President, Alstom Grid. The new solutions we present are at the forefront of todays challenges in energy and the environment, making our customers grids more reliable, clean and smart.

In line with these technology developments, Alstom is launching the following new Smart Grid and sustainable products throughout the week:

• The new generation of digital substation solutions with new components for the air-insulated switchgear (AIS), gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) and substation automation solutions (SAS), which bring unprecedented levels of reliability, security and performance through real-time monitoring, automation and interoperability. This digital substation integrates high performance primary equipment including Alstoms COSI (Compact Optical Sensor Intelligence). Information acquisition, processing and output is treated in real-time through a digital architecture with multiple layers of automation units.
• e-terra 3.0 software platform for smart control room which is fully integrated with Energy Management System (EMS), Distribution Management System (DMS), Market Management System (MMS) and Demand Response (DR) modules for easy integration with enterprise IT systems and any other third party back or front office applications. This latest version uses a secure, scalable and adaptable design based on industry standards such as IEEE, IECs CIM and Multispeak.
• The DS Agile range is the latest generation of Digital Control Systems (DCS) for the digital substation. This smart grid solution relies on fast Ethernet networks with IEC 61850 communication standards and offers topology-orientated automation combined with electrical security to minimise outages.
• The MiCOM P40 Agile range of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) provides an integrated feeder management solution for complete protection, control and monitoring of electrical power systems. The MiCOM S1 Agile relay optimises configuration and maintenance of substation automation assets.
• Alstoms first VL 109 72.5 kV Vacuum Circuit Breaker for substations uses a vacuum bottle instead of SF6 to interrupt the current in an AIS substation, thus strongly reducing the environmental footprint at substation level.

CIGRE 2012 will, moreover, be a key opportunity for Alstom and its customers to discuss the future deployment of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) in transmission grids. A long established expert in the HVDC field, Alstom is already producing HVDC technologies through Line Commutated Converter (LCC) and Voltage Source Converter (VSC) to connect offshore wind farms to the mainstream grid and to build the super grids of tomorrow, the energy highways for future long-distance transmission. Alstom has notably built the Ningdong-Shandong 660 kV transmission scheme in China and is currently working on the Rio Madeira project in Brazil, the worlds longest HVDC link. Most recently Svenska Kraftnät selected Alstoms Voltage Source Converter technology, HVDC MaxSineTM, for the South-West link project in Sweden.

Discussions at the CIGRE 2012 will be centered on the industrys current challenges: the reduction of global CO2 emission through increasing integration of renewable energy sources (wind, solar), the need to respond to growing energy demand in all economies, the push to interconnect national electrical grids across long distances to develop international energy exchanges, and finally, the challenge of integrating new digital technologies (Smart Control Room, automated functionalities and seamless telecommunications).

About Alstom
Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission 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, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids. The Group employs 92,000 people in around 100 countries. It had sales of 20 billion and booked close to 22 billion in orders in 2011/12.

Alstom Grid has over 100 years of expertise in electrical grids. Whether for utilities or electro-intensive industries or facilitating the trading of energy, Alstom Grid brings power to its customers projects.  Alstom Grid ranks among the top 3 in electrical transmission sector with an annual sales turnover of more than 4 billion. It has 20,000 employees and over 90 manufacturing and engineering sites worldwide. At the heart of the development of Smart Grid, Alstom Grid offers products, services and integrated energy management solutions across the full energy value chainfrom power generation, through transmission and distribution grids and to the large end user.

For more information on CIGRE: http://www.alstom.com/press-centre/2012/7/96554/

Press Contacts
Christine Rahard, Isabelle Tourancheau - Tel +33 1 41 49 32 95 /39 95
christine.rahard@chq.alstom.com, isabelle.tourancheau@chq.alstom.com 
Aline Besselièvre Tel + 33 1 49 01 69 04 - aline.besselievre@alstom.com

Investor Relations                        
Emmanuelle Châtelain, Juliette Langlais - Tel +33 1 41 49 37 38 / 21 36
emmanuelle.chatelain@chq.alstom.com , juliette.langlais@chq.alstom.com  

Website www.alstom.com