Alstom inaugurates new joint venture in Hefei contributing to the development of Anhui rail transit industry

HATEE is an investment by Alstom's joint venture, Shanghai Alstom Transport Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd. (SATEE)^[1]. The factory will establish a base for the design and manufacturing of traction systems and components, project management, and lifecycle maintenance services. The factory will be implemented in three phases. It is expected to take 8 to 10 years to gradually achieve an annual production, maintenance, and retrofit capacity of no less than 1,500 train traction systems. Alstom signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Hefei City in July 2023, followed by an investment cooperation agreement with Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone in September. HATEE was registered in January 2024, and trial production to commence in October. The traction systems produced by HATEE are newly developed metro traction systems specifically designed for the standardised metro vehicles in Chinese market. These products leverage Alstom’s most mature OPTonix™ traction systems, featuring high-frequency inverter technology, lightweight, and easy maintenance, with full interfaces for intelligent operation and maintenance.

Ming Geng, Managing Director of Alstom China, said, "Alstom has always actively participated in the development of rail transit industry of Anhui Province and Hefei City. HATEE is another joint venture established by Alstom in Anhui Province, following CRRC Puzhen Alstom Transportation Systems Co., Ltd. (PATS)^[2]. Its establishment is a powerful testimony for the strengthening of China-France economic and trade cooperation, it is also an important strategic initiative for Alstom to deepen its industrial footprint in China. We are very grateful for the support from all levels of government in Anhui Province, especially in Hefei City and Wuhu City. The market potential and favorable business environment has provided new opportunities for our development in China. HATEE, as the first local manufacturing base for traction systems in Hefei, will play an important role in Hefei’s rail transit industry chain. And it will support Hefei’s rail transit industry to enter the national and overseas markets."

The traction systems of Hefei Metro Line 8 are supplied  by Alstom joint venture SATEE. Line 8 is also the first fully automated metro line in Hefei, with a total length of 22.5 kilometres, all of which is underground, and it includes 12 stations. The vehicles are six-car b-type trains with a maximum passenger capacity of 2,000 people and a maximum operating speed of 100 kilometres per hour. These vehicles are designed according to the highest level of automation that available internationally. Once completed, Line 8 will provide local citizens with convenient, efficient, and green way to travel, contributing to the rapid regional economic and social development.

As one of the key development industries, Hefei City has an extensive metro planning, with seven metro lines under construction, totalling 157 kilometres, and plans to reach 300 kilometres by 2025. Additionally, Hefei City's fourth phase of urban rail transit construction planning includes six lines, with a total length of 128 kilometres. The establishment of HATEE will further support the rail transit construction and industrial development of Anhui Province and Hefei City, HATEE will also gradually undertake the capacity transfer of Alstom China's export supporting business as planned. The traction equipment designed and manufactured by HATEE will not only serve metro and commuter train projects in Hefei and major cities across China but also power Alstom metro vehicles globally, gradually achieving the industrialisation goal from “Hefei Metro, Hefei Made.” to “From Hefei, serving the world”, thereby supporting the Hefei rail transit industry to expand beyond Hefei City, nationwide, and worldwide.

Present in China for over 60 years, Alstom participates in the full spectrum of China’s railway projects. Alstom in China now has a complete range of rolling stock (high-speed trains, railway passenger cars, locomotives, metro, automated people movers, monorail and trams), state-of-the-art components (traction systems, bogies, traction motors, dampers), customised services as well as infrastructure and signalling solutions.

Alstom in China has eleven joint ventures, and almost 10,000 employees. Together, the joint ventures have delivered more than 6,000 railway passenger cars and 1,530 electric locomotives, more than 7,200 metro cars, over 800 monorail cars, 136 automated people mover cars, and 191 tram cars to China’ s growing rail transit market as well as to overseas markets. In China, Alstom also provides customers with a wide range of services solutions, from heavy maintenance to modernisations, and currently has more than 4,100 metro cars under maintenance contracts. It is a major signalling supplier to the Chinese high-speed network, and through its joint ventures, its signalling systems and propulsion equipment are utilised in more than 110 urban mass transit lines.

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[1] Shanghai Alstom Transport Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd. is 60% owned by Alstom Group. Merger by equity method.

[2] CRRC Puzhen Alstom Transportation Systems Co., Ltd is 50% owned by Alstom Group. Merger by equity method.