NEWS
New contracts and orders in industry
Alstom to supply the first MXL2 upgrade package in the Middle East
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise orders 40 ATR 72-600s
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lstom has secured a key contract in the United Arab Emirates with Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL), to upgrade two GT13E2 gas turbines with its innovative MXL2 upgrade package. The upgrade will increase the flexibility and competitive advantage of DUBAL’s combinedcycle power plant (CCPP). This new contract – in conjunction with an extension to the long-term service agreement (LTSA) with DUBAL – will be the first MXL2 upgrade deployed in the Middle East region. Its implementation is expected to be completed in early 2015. Progressively evolved from proven Alstom technology, the multi-mode MXL2 retrofit product gives DUBAL the ability to achieve a 1% increase in combined cycle mode efficiency as already proven with a previous implementation of the product in the United Kingdom (South Humber Bank). It will also produce an additional 12MW of gross power output, reduce CO2 emissions and increase service intervals by one-third, contributing to significantly lower operating costs. “The MXL2 contract builds on our long-term engagement and follows previous leading edge projects undertaken by Alstom for DUBAL, such as the multi-purpose, load balancing GTX cogeneration plant,” says Michael Rechsteiner, senior vice-president of Alstom Thermal Services. Visit: www.alstom.com
Air Liquide announces major deal
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ir Liquide is further strengthening its position in Germany by signing a major long-term supply contract with ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG in the Rhine-Ruhr area, one of the largest and leading industrial basins in Europe. Deliveries under the agreement include 4600 tonnes per day of oxygen, plus nitrogen and argon, which will be supplied 16 Industry Europe
the occasion of the Singapore Airshow, the European turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR and the United Arab Emirates’ leasing firm Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) announced a contract for the purchase of 40 ATR 72-600s, which includes firm orders for 20 aircraft and options for 20 additional ones. DAE is the largest aviation leasing firm in the Middle East with an aircraft portfolio of approximately $3.3 billion comprised of B737s, B777s, A320s and A330s. The 20 firm aircraft are scheduled to deliver between 2015 and 2018. The contract is a major milestone in ATR’s recent history and underlines the increasing interest of leasing firms from all over the world in the ATR aircraft family. The ATR 72-600 has become in recent years the preferred regional
aircraft below 90 seats for lessors and airlines operating short-haul networks. Khalifa AlDaboos, managing director of DAE, declared: “We aim to diversify our portfolio and expand into regional aircraft to meet an increasing demand from airlines that are developing regional air connectivity. ATRs are today operated by some 190 carriers all over the world, and this is clearly providing us with many potential opportunities to place this new fleet of regional aircraft.” Visit: www.atraircraft.com
TenCate and Adler Group sign supply agreement for Alfa Romeo 4C platform F
ollowing the joint development between TenCate Advanced Composites and the Adler Group with regard to the Alfa Romeo 4C chassis, an exclusive supply agreement has been reached for the use of carbon fibre composite prepreg material. This advanced material is being used for the production of the entire monocoque. The central passenger cell reduces vehicle weight and creates a highly rigid and safe basic structure. This agreement encapsulates the relationship which began at the inception of this automotive project and sees the E700 series carbon fibre prepreg from the TenCate Advanced Composites manufacturing facility in Langley Mill (Nottingham), UK being used by the Adler Group in Ottaviano (Naples), Italy. The support provided by TenCate to Adler has continued beyond the development phase of the project, with sales of Alfa Romeo forecast to reach up to three thousand cars per year. The two parties have agreed that an investment will be made to enable local production of the composite material, in order to optimise the logistic process and comply with ‘just in time’ requirements needed for this important Alfa Romeo automotive programme. In addition, TenCate and Adler will work jointly on innovations for new automotive-related projects. Visit: www.tencate.com to ThyssenKrupp’s steelworks based in the Duisburg cluster, the largest steel production region in Europe, notably supplying the needs of the automotive industry in Germany. Oxygen, nitrogen and argon are required by the steel industry for a number of applications, ranging from air enrichment for blast furnaces to oxygen steelmaking processes. The use of these gases helps to improve the productivity
and energy performance of steelworks whilst reducing atmospheric emissions. The gases will be supplied via Air Liquide’s 500km local pipeline network, which already serves customers in the steel, chemical and petrochemical industries in the Rhine-Ruhr area. This pipeline is fed by Air Liquide Air Separation Units. Vist: www.airliquide.com
