A strong position ALTA

the high cost and long lead time of land-based LNG facilities, we believe our highly costefficient approaches, based on floating LNG liquefaction, storage and off-take, shipping and regasification facilities of the types now being developed by the company, will be key to substantial additional growth opportunities.”

Midstream floating solutions

Since 2001, Golar has grown from a fleet of six LNG Carriers purely focused on LNG transportation, to a fleet dedicated to both LNG transportation and midstream floating solutions.

Its strategy to become a midstream floating solution provider began in 2002 when it undertook a study with Saipem/Moss Maritime to consider the conversion of an existing LNG Carrier into a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) and in 2004 a similar study for the conversion into a Floating Power Generation Plant (FPGP).

“In April, 2007, Golar was awarded its first firm FSRU commitments via the award of two long-term leases by Petrobras to employ Golar Winter and Golar Spirit as FSRUs.”

New vessels

Today, Golar’s fleet consists of 13 vessels. Four of these vessels are dedicated to midstream floating solutions projects; the remaining nine vessels are currently under dedicated time charter or available for spot employment or conversion. Lately Golar has also been awarded two new FSRU contracts in respective Kuwait and Jordan.

A shipbuilding project to add new vessels to the fleet is currently underway.

“We have now received the first LNG Carrier. The newbuilding programme consist of totally 13 vessels of which 10 are carriers and 3 are FSRUs. Scheduled for delivery between now and January 2015, all 13 160,000 to 170,000 cbm membrane type new-builds will feature the latest energy-efficient tri-fuel (gas/diesel/ fuel oil) engines, a 0.1 per cent boil off rate and 19.5 knot design speed,” says Mr Dahl.

“These new-build carriers will be available to meet a range of charter terms.” n

A STRONG POSITION

ALTA a.s. is one of the major Czech engineering producers, specialising in supplying technical equipment for the engineering and mining industries, the construction materials sector, metalworking and energy. In addition to central and eastern Europe it operates mainly in the Commonwealth of Independent States but recently has started to establish a position in new markets.

ALTA was founded in 1991 as a limited liability company. The breakthrough years were 1994, when it was converted into a joint-stock company, and 1999, when it merged with its subsidiary ALTA – Turbo a.s.

Since its establishment ALTA has focused on business in the countries of central and eastern Europe. In the first few years trading was dominated by classical import-export operations supplemented by counter-trading. Today’s trading activities include a full range of trading, financial and engineering services to secure a high level of competitiveness for the company.

Dynamic Growth

Over the last decade the ALTA group has grown significantly. Its delivery options were significantly strengthened by the 2005 acquisition of TOS KUŘIM – OS. To this in 2008 was added a major production and design base in mining technology in the form of SE-MI Technology. In 2010 ALTA purchased the ČKD BLANSKO-OS factory for the manufacture of heavy carousels. A further major acquisition by ALTA occurred in 2011 when it purchased the ŠKODA MACHINE TOOL producer of heavy machine tools. Then 2012 saw the signature of the joint foundation with the Russian Tvel company of a new company ALVEL, specialising in nuclear energy, followed by the acquisition of DMS s.r.o. ALTA also owns subsidiaries in the Russian Federation and in the Ukraine. In the last few years the activities of ALTA have demonstrated an increasingly global character. Its reach has grown to further countries and states, at present especially in India and China.

The dynamic growth of ALTA is also documented by its repeated placement in the top one hundred most important companies in the Czech Republic in the chart compiled annually by the CZECH TOP 100 association. Since 2000 ALTA has placed in increasingly higher positions in the chart. In 2012 ALTA took 63rd place in the hundred most successful Czech companies. It also placed consistently in the top five most successful companies in the Czech Republic’s southern Moravia region. Number one in central Europe

ALTA supplies machine tools and technical equipment for the engineering and metalworking industries, the energy sector, the mining industry and the construction materials sector. It has available the design and implementation capacity of its subsidiaries, the trading skills gathered in ALTA a.s., support functions in the shape of ALTA CZ a.s. and stable management through its parent company ALTA Invest a.s.

In addition to its trading activities ALTA increasingly fulfils the role of general contractor for investment projects including the introduction of new production technologies as well as the reconstruction and modernisation of existing production capacity. Together with supplies of equipment it provides customers with broad-based engineering support for the introduction of new production techniques.

ALTA’s export activities are today focused on supplying investment projects, machine tools, equipment for the mining and processing of ores and stone, construction material manufacturing equipment and on trading other engineering products. Its import activi-