Alstom Grid commemorated the opening of its technology centre in Shanghai, China with a ceremony officiated by Alstom Chairman and CEO, Patrick Kron, Alstom Grid President Henri Poupart-Lafarge, and several public officials.
The €47 million ($67 million) facility, located in Shanghai’s Caoheijing Pujiang High-Tech Park, is an advanced centre for research, development, and testing of Ultra High Voltage Alternating Current (UHVAC) and Ultra High Voltage Direct Current (UHVDC) transmission equipment and energy management solutions.
The centre is designed to conceive and develop solutions required for the future of electrical grids as well as to accommodate large electrical equipment, with a UHV testing hall and R&D platforms such as scientific simulation tools, climate chamber, and testing labs for material and temperature rise.
The investment in Shanghai will expand Alstom Grid’s presence in the region and further enhance its cooperation with leading Chinese universities like Tsinghua University in Beijing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and others.
Alstom Grid President Poupart-Lafarge calls the opening of the centre “a key strategic move for Alstom Grid. We already have a strong localized manufacturing base in China, but we are taking the next step by further developing our local R&D skills and comprehensive testing facilities. Not only will we better serve our customers, but we are also committed helping China in its ambitious plans to develop its strong and smart grid by 2020 and to move to the highest voltages, 1,200kV in alternating current and 1,100kV in direct current. Our recent success in partnership with CEPRI for the Ningdong Shandong HVDC connection, which incorporated the latest high-tech valve technology is a clear example of customer-valued innovation to respond to market needs.”
Spanning 54,000 sqm, the facility employs around 120 engineers, many of whom have spent time in Alstom Grid’s units in Europe and the United States, focusing on power transmission technologies and solutions for Grid Network Management.
Alstom provides power generation, power transmission, and rail infrastructure, setting the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom Grid, the newest sector of Alstom, brings power to their customers’ projects.
