Alstom: New Torres Eólicas do Nordeste plant concludes its first tower

TEN (Torres Eólicas do Nordeste) is located in the city of Jacobina, in Bahia (Brazil). A little more than three months later, the unit has just delivered the first T89 tower of the ECO 122 wind turbine. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology for the manufacture of metallic towers for wind farms.

”The delivery of the first tower is a landmark for all who participated in its construction. We had huge challenges to reach this goal as scheduled. To be part as a large supplier of the wind power supply chain, contributing for the growth of this power source inside the Brazilian power mix, will be our great goal”, highlights Charles Filogônio, Commercial Director – Renewable of Andrade Gutierrez Energia.

The piece, which weighs around 200 tons and is 89 meters high, was concluded in late April. Next to the main current and potential wind projects of the region, TEN occupies a built-up area of 22,000 sq. meters on a 140,000 sq meters plot. The unit took a year to be built and involved around 400 people in the project.

“Concluding the first deliveries in a fast and efficient way is very important and shows that we are ready to meet the strong demand of the Brazilian wind market, collaborating for the development of renewable power generation in the country”, says Pierre François Chenevier, Senior Vice President of Alstom Wind for Latin America.

Around 200 people, including employees of the unit and outsourced collaborators, were involved in the delivery of the first tower.

Qualification

To produce the equipment and count on specialized labor, AG and Alstom signed a partnership with the National Service for Industrial Learning (Senai) of Bahia, to qualify professionals to work in this new segment. Of all employees involved in the first delivery, around 40% came from this educational process.

AG and Alstom

The joint venture, announced last year, received investments of around 92 million Reais and is composed 51% by Andrade Gutierrez and 49% by Alstom. With capacity to produce 200 metallic towers a year (initial capacity) as of 2015, the unit collaborates directly to the region’s economic and social growth by increasing the production chain and generating new jobs. In all, when the plant is fully operational, it will be 250 direct employees, in addition to 600 indirect ones.

TEN is the third wind plant of Alstom in Latin America, and the company expects to produce 200 towers in 2015, the equivalent to four machines a week. To serve this demand, Alstom’s unit in Canoas, in southern Brazil, is transferring technology to TEN.

Sustainability

In several of their projects, Andrade Gutierrez and Alstom develop actions to reduce the consumption of water. The gardens of Torres Eólicas do Nordeste (TEN), for example, do not depend on rain or rivers to be irrigated. The 225 thousand monthly liters of water necessary to their maintenance are obtained through the treatment of effluents generated in the plant’s production.

The measure directly contributes for environmental preservation in the region, as the treatment of effluents to be used at the site reduces the consumption of water. This is because the 225 thousand liters of water that would be used to irrigate the gardens are obtained with the treatment of these liquid residues. When the factory is operating in three shifts, as of the second half of the year, the amount of water produced through the treatment of effluents will be 432 thousand liters.

About Andrade Gutierrez

Grupo Andrade Gutierrez, with its diversified experience built in over 65 years of operation in Brazil and abroad, is proud to actively participate in the economic and social development of the countries where it operates. It is positioned among the largest groups in Brazil and as one of the main infrastructure conglomerates in Latin America. It operates in diversified business fronts, such as Engineering and Construction, Power, Concessions, Telecommunications and Health.

Power

Andrade Gutierrez stands out for its capacity to manage large projects and offer complete solutions in the projects it executes. The Group operates as an integrator and conductor of studies in the several sources of power generation, and also offers distinguished logistic solutions for power transmission and distribution projects.

Hydro power: AG participated in the construction of over 27,000 MW, around 30% of the installed power from hydro plants in Brazil. Among the most important recent projects for the Brazilian power mix, the company participated in the construction of Irapé, Lajeado and Canabrava. Currently, in addition to participating in the consortium responsible for the implementation of the Santo Antonio Plant, on Madeira River, the company leads the construction of the Belo Monte Hydro Plant, with 11,233 MW capacity.

Thermal plants: The company participated in the implementation of several thermal plants, which total over 4,000 MW of installed power (Macaé Merchant (RJ), Norte Fluminense (RJ), Termelétrica de Fortaleza (CE) and Usina Termelétrica de Tubarão (ES)). Highlight for the implementation of thermal-nuclear plants, having participated in the consortium responsible for the assembly of the Angra II Nuclear Plant and executed the civil works for the Angra III Nuclear Plant.

Today, much more than a large construction company, Andrade Gutierrez is prepared to generate integrated solutions in the whole production chain, based on technical expertise, infrastructure, strategic planning, advanced standards, state-of-the-art technology, creativity and a qualified team. Obtaining excellent operational results and ensuring the economic performance of projects.

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 automated metros with greatest capacity in the world, supplies integrated turnkey plants and associated services to a wide range of power sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and offers several solutions for power transmission, focused on smart grids. The Group employs 88,000 people in over 100 countries.