Alstom wins $441M to build Brazil plant

French engineering company Alstom SA said Tuesday it won a euro330 million (US$441 million) contract from steel producer ThyssenKrupp CSA Companhia Siderurgica to build a 490 megawatt power plant.

The power plant, to be located in Sepetiba, Rio de Janeiro State, will be fueled by blast furnace waste gas from a new steel mill, which will be built in parallel by the customer, with excess energy exported to the national grid, Alstom said in a statement.

"Alstom will provide all engineering, procurement and construction services to deliver a fully integrated blast-furnace-gas-fired combined cycle plant," the company said.

Alstom said its GT11N2 gas turbines can produce 10 percent more power compared with the more conventional steam plant solutions typical for blast furnace gas applications.

"Using gas that would otherwise be wasted to produce power is both of economic and environmental benefit," said Philippe Joubert, president of Alstom Power Systems.

(Published by The Brazilian, June 12, 2007)