Alstom to supply most advanced clean coal combustion technology to RWE power plant in Germany

Alstom will supply boilers for two 800 MW units at the existing coal-fired Westfalen Power Station in the north western Germany near the town of Hamm and operated by RWE Power AG. The two new bituminous coal-fired units will be among the cleanest and most efficient in the world.

Under the terms of the contract, the value of which is approximately €500 million, Alstom will supply the complete boiler islands and auxiliary equipment, including erection and commissioning. When completed in 2011, the new units will achieve cycle efficiencies of about 46 per cent, substantially more than the European average of 36 per cent efficiency for existing bituminous coal-fired plants.

The new Westfalen supercritical boilers with steam temperatures of 600°C will reduce all emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), by about one-third compared to the fleet of older units. Thanks to the application of Alstom's advanced technical solutions, the levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions will be reduced very significantly. In addition to superior environmental performance, Alstom's high-efficiency supercritical technology provides lower fuel costs, operating flexibility and high unit availability.

''At Hamm we are erecting one of the most advanced bituminous coal-fired twin unit plants worldwide that-compared with old units- helps save some 2.5 million tons of CO2 annually while generating the same power. In Alstom, we have found a competent and experienced partner with whom we have already implemented a number of power plant projects," said Dr. Johannes Lambertz, CEO of RWE Power AG.

Alstom is the world leader in boiler technology, having installed boilers with a combined output of more than 420,000 MW globally. Alstom is also a leading provider of supercritical boilers, having supplied or licensed more than 150,000 MW around the world.

''As a global leader in the deployment of clean coal combustion technologies, Alstom has the technical expertise which allows it to propose clean power solutions that answer the customer's specific needs while offering the cleanest power available today.'' said Philippe Joubert, president Alstom Power Systems.