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NEWS

New contracts and orders in industry

Alstom to supply the first MXL2 upgrade package in the Middle East

Alstom 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 ON 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

Following 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

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise orders 40 ATR 72-600s

TenCate and Adler Group sign supply agreement for Alfa Romeo 4C platform

Air Liquide announces major deal

Air 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 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

WINNINGBUSINESS

Rejlers engaged by Helsinki City Theatre

Rejlers has been engaged in the modernisation of Helsinki City Theatre. The project will be carried out by the company’s consultant specialists within electrical design.

The theatre was built originally in 1967 and since 1989 has had a side building called ‘Studio Elsa’. The theatre is considered to be one of the finest Finnish architectural milestones and the ongoing modernisation work is accompanied by strict restrictions and regulations. One reason for the renovation is that the building will be more energy efficient. Rejlers’ assignment includes the design of various technical installation solutions. The total building area is 27,000 square metres.

Rejlers is one of the largest engineering consultants in the Nordic region. Its 1800 experts work on projects within the areas of Building and Property, Energy, Industry and Infrastructure. Visit: www.rejlers.com

Network Rail places order for ROBEL Mobile Maintenance Systems

Following orders from Austria and Norway the Mobile Maintenance System will now be used in Great Britain. ROBEL will build eight Mobile Maintenance Systems 69.70/4 for Network Rail Ltd. Following delivery from July 2015 onwards, this safe and efficient concept will be deployed on five of Network Rail’s Routes.

With the three combined units of the (Mobile Maintenance Unit) 69.60 MMU, the (Intermediate Wagon) 69.45 IW and the (Traction and Supply Unit) 69.40 TSU, ROBEL will help to facilitate Network Rail’s vision of a safe, reliable and efficient railway infrastructure.

The aim of the system is to create a safe and mobile work space for staff, both during the transport of material and equipment to and from the worksite and during maintenance work on the track. Network Rail Ltd will use the system mainly for the following tasks: replacement of closure rails (max. rail length 13.72m), rail pads and connecting fishplates as well as maintenance and inspection of switches. Visit: www.robel.info

FLSmidth wins cement order in Oman

FLSmidth has received an order worth USD 38 million (approximately DKK 205 million) from Omani cement producer Oman Cement Company (SAOG) for the supply of milling equipment for a cement plant located in Rusayl Industrial Area, 60km from Port Sultan Qaboos, Muscat.

The order covers supply of a 150 tonnes per hour closed circuit ball mill system including two cement silos, each with a capacity of 8000 tonnes. The scope of supply also includes a high-efficiency central drive for the ball mill and a dynamic separator and fabric filters to reduce dust emission.

“Infrastructure growth in Oman has created a huge demand for cement. Oman Cement Company are already upgrading their existing production lines and now want to set up a fifth cement grinding unit. FLSmidth has a strong service capability and presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and therefore has good relations with the company,” comments group executive vice-president Bjarne Moltke Hansen. Visit: www.flsmidth.com

Parker Hannifin products used for challenging North Sea project

AN offshore oil and gas project that will site new offshore platforms in challenging conditions in the North Sea has selected high-reliability valves and tube connection fittings from the Instrumentation Products Division of Parker Hannifin in Barnstaple.

Named after the pioneering Norwegian feminist Gina Krog, the new oil and gas field is located some 250km west of Stavanger, Norway.

Parker estimates that it will supply at least 10,000 individual valves, tube fittings and other components for this project, as well as some 10km of tubing. These will be used to construct liquid and gas instrumentation systems that will measure parameters such as temperature, pressure and flow to help control gas and oil and processing operations.

This project will also make extensive use of titanium and the 6Mo steel alloy in key parts of the fluid tubing systems. These specialist materials are required to combat the threat of corrosion. Visit: www.parker.com