They meet the needs of growing urbanization

Garlands of flowers, bouquets of roses, ceremony of light, warm speeches of the local political authorities... AREVA T & D has a big step in the pursuit of his conquest of the promising market of transmission and electric distribution in India. Philippe Guillemot, CEO of this subsidiary of Areva, dear to Anne Lauvergeon since that it restated it to Alstom for 900 million euros in 2004, opened these days 8 production units spread over 3 sites in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, two States in full growth. In total, French has invested in the country 150 million euros since 2007.

"It's a bold strategy, decided at the right time," welcomed Philippe Guillemot. Now number one in the Indian market with 580 million euros of orders in 2008 (compared to 250 in 2005), Areva T & D specializes in the trades of the ultra high, high and medium voltage electricity transmission. Site of Vadodara, in the Northwest of Bombay, which includes 4 plants, will build and test equipment for a network of 1,200 kV, with the India wants to equip themselves by 2011. It will employ 1,000 people recruited and trained on the spot to make transformers and circuit of latest technology term.

Growing urbanization

Padappai, near Madras, in the South of the country, Areva T & D decided to launch the highly strategic manufacturing and GIS ("gas insulated substation"). These compact substations to gas solution can be 10 to 25 times smaller than a classical station, usually installed in the campaign. They meet the needs of growing urbanization. For more sophisticated equipment, Areva T & D is already world leader, with 19 of the market, and more than 1,000 units delivered in 2008. These GIS, manufactured from next June at Padappai, are intended in the first place for the local market, the needs are of the order of 300 or 400 units, and may find new opportunities in the Middle East or Southeast Asian term. "Further their quality to be little gourmandes in space, these stations are also adapted to polluted or aggressive environments such as salt air or sand," said Jacques Mulbert, responsible of this product line.

Hosur, third jointly inaugurated site "because the cosmic signs were favourable," said on-site, Areva T & D factory for a few months of transformers, including for the lines to ultra and very high voltage.

The development of the T & D activities in India is characteristic of the dynamism of this branch since its passage in the bosom of Areva. Present in this country seventy years, listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (with a floating of the order of 28), the T & D India of Areva subsidiary is a party to the conquest of the second global market behind China. Studies anticipate increased by 7 of the energy capacity of the India in 2032, 800 gigawatts. "There are two countries to be present in the world on the line, it is China and the India," stresses Philippe Guillemot. "Here, we have recovered garages." "In three years, we have modern factories", explains the French CEO, who does not hide his pride in having expanded "in so little time for this country" the facilities of its Indian subsidiary. It now employs 4.600 people and realized in 2008 a turnover of EUR 400 million, with a net margin of 8.6. The only concern of this pattern today, is to see the T & D activity be victim of its success in attracting "predators" for a "cash machine". A reference to the ambition displayed by Alstom to recover its former subsidiary.