Alstom has signed a contract worth approximately €50 million with the Ministry of Electricity in Iraq for the rehabilitation of two units at Khor Al Zubair gas-fired power station, located in the Basrah district, south of Iraq. Each unit is based on Alstom’s well proven GT 13 gas turbine technology , originally commissioned in 1977.   The project scope includes the upgrade of the units’ compressors and gas turbines as well as replacement and upgrade of the electrical and control systems. Equipment for the project will be produced at Alstom’s factories in Europe and at Alstom’s Jebel Ali service unit in Dubai.  Alstom is also responsible for installation and comissioning of the unit   The rehabilitation will increase the output of each unit by more than 30 MW , thus adding an extra 60 MW’s to the electricity grid, when compared to their original rating. The upgrade will also increase the power plant efficiency and extend the life of the units significantly. The first rehabilitated unit will be reconnected to the Iraqi electricity network in 2012 and the second unit will be connected before the summer peak of 2013.   This is Alstom’s second rehabilitation project signed in recent times to rebuild Iraq’s energy infrastructure. Alstom is currently also rehabilitating unit 1 of the Najaf gas-fired power station, south of Baghdad, which when completed will contribute again an output of 60 MW to the Iraqi electricity network. In December 2011, Alstom also signed a contract to build the 728 MW Al Mansuriya gas-fired power plant in the Diyala Governorate, northeast of Baghdad, expected to be in operation by early 2013.   About Alstom Alstom is one of the world’s leaders in power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for all thermal (coal, nuclear, gas...) and renewable (hydro, wind, solar...) energy sources. It offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids. The Group employs over 90,000 people in around 100 countries, and had sales of €21 billion in 2010/11.   Press Contacts   Sapna Lalwani (Alstom Thermal Power) – Tel +41 79 486 3798 sapna.lalwani@power.alstom.com Website www.alstom.com

  As it opened its doors on May 15 th at the Dubai World Trade Centre, HOTEL SHOW will be hosting an especially well-stocked French Pavilion led by UBIFRANCE – the French International Business Development Agency. A key event for Middle-Eastern and North-African hotel industry professionals, this event attracted 15,000 visitors and 420 exhibitors from 45 countries last year. That success should be further confirmed this year owing to renewed investment being observed within the sector. France is already well involved and preparing to unveil an offer that will be sharp, original and eclectic.   The region’s attraction for suppliers in the sector can be easily explained by the $6b in hotel projects hosted by the Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as by the $90b in hotel-related equipment imported by Saudi Arabia. As the world’s leading tourist destination, France enjoys a long tradition in hospitality which results in a highly diversified offer and widely-acknowledged professionalism. There will be 24 companies with equipment and solutions which can generally be made to fit any request.   Lighting will be in the spotlight. Manufacturers have no hesitation in putting traditional lighting side by side with LED lighting, whose popularity is now here to stay. As a result of their conductivity, polyurethane foam panels can be used to easily accommodate multiple wireless connectors, thus creating an endless variety of ambiences.   Household linen will be the focus of much refinement: exquisite embroidery, and top-quality fabrics available in a host of colours.   World-renowned designers will contribute their creativity to ensure that table top remains at its highest level, worthy of the reputation enjoyed by French gastronomy and which it has helped to build: cutlery, dishes, crockery and glasses coming in determinedly bold shapes that serve to sublimate the richness of the fare. Decoration will have pride of place thanks to the tradition inherited from generations of artists and craftsmen which highly contemporary creators are able to adapt into multiple shapes: floral compositions, framing, wall paintings, as well as meticulous work on metal or precious wood species. It sometimes happens that artistic expression adopts odd modes of expression, since it will even be possible to see creations made from vintage clockwork pieces. Logistics will not be forgotten, and one of the world leaders in service trolleys will be presenting its full range of solutions. The French offer will not be limited to the indoors, for it will extend to garden furniture, high-end swimming pool or car shelters, the creation of verandas, as well as designing “bubbles to live in” to be installed inside a building, on a roof or in the desert so as to design a world apart which distances itself from its environment while simultaneously respecting it.   The Pays de la Loire and the Paris Region Chamber of Trades and Craftsmanship (CMRA) have conducted a highly dynamic initiative to raise the awareness of new businesses regarding the region’s potential. The CMRA and all participants will be there, at the UBIFRANCE Pavilion, spread into Halls 5 to 8 in the Dubai World Trade Centre.

  Organised by GL Events exhibitions, the first edition of Piscine Middle East show brings leading international exhibitors to Abu Dhabi to meet their counterparts and showcase the latest innovation from the global pool industry to discuss opportunities and challenges in the most dynamic pool market in the world. Developers, contractors, as well as service providers in the pool industry can meet companies which either supply ready-made, construct custom-made swimming pools, or both in Abu Dhabi.   The show is bringing the right balance between quality, price and qualified maintenance in the sector. With 60 international exhibitors and about 2000 visitors for this first edition, the Piscine exhibition showcases a high quality range of swimming pools, spa products and services to specifiers and buyers in the Middle East, North African countries and India. “ The exhibitors participating in Piscine Middle East form part of the world leaders. Their role is to assist local leaders by offering them the latest equipment and technologies on the market and by training them to use such equipment .” Says Mrs Noemi Petit, show director for GL Events Exhibitions.   “ The Region has seen a massive shift focused on the well-being experience, expanding on an established market for pool and spa equipment and facilities. The UAE itself has become a phenomenon for the sector ”. She added.   With the latest techniques and innovations in the field of construction for water treatment, pools and spa, Piscine Middle East is the new platform for both developers and contractors. The Piscine Middle East 2012 in Abu Dhabi is set to be hosted between 22-25 April, in order to be the principal event every year to discuss trends, opportunities and challenges in the most big spa market in the world with an estimated value of 10 billion US Dollars by annum in 2011. An educational program will is held in parallel with the show: a conference program to help professionals understand individual needs and advise them on how to handle customer relations. Piscine Middle East will train and inform, thereby offering a complete overview of the market.  

EUROCOOLER, a leading French company specialized in cooling radiators for market power transformer industry, presented its innovations on the French Pavilion at the Middle East Electricity 2012 exhibition in Dubai, from 7 th to 9 th of February. The company’s specific know-how is based on a highly developed technical expertise such as stamping metal cutting, welding and surface treatment. EUROCOOLER proposes different products depending on user’s needs, such as header type radiator: Central / Offset / Cut Section / Swan Neck. Furthermore, the company is able to fulfill the cooling of a complete range of transformers from 100 KVA to 1500 MVA of power. The radiators are made in four steps: - Manufacturing of panels from steel coils on an automatic line - Assembly – welding of the radiators with fittings - Hot dip galvanization (optional) - Surface treatment (paint) which is always done in the factory at Corbenay.   As all the radiators are dilatable, they can accept variations of volume of oil generated by differences of temperature, thereby no conservative is needed.   Eurocooler controls all packaging technology for land, sea and air. Quality procedures have been implemented to cover the reception area and equipment suppliers, the process of different stages of manufacture of radiators, the control radiators trailing and the packaging.   Since 1937, EUROCOOLER has carved out a position of force with the biggest manufacturers by bringing them its expertise and a response adapted to their needs in the field of cooling for transformers of all powers. Certified ISO 9001: 2000 with TÜV, the French Company target is to develop a comprehensive Quality, Safety, Environment and thus part of sustainable development policy. The procedure of traceability assures a total identification of all the components necessary for the manufacturing of the coolers. Aware of environmental issues, the company focuses on the treatment of waste water, exhaust fumes, sorting of waste and noise reduction.   Nowadays, the global warming and the very high temperature of the Middle East region impose a need in cooling technologies. Thanks to low prices and high quality products, EUROCOOLER will respond to this issue and avoid the deterioration of the machines by reducing their temperature.   www.eurocooler.com

French agrifood exports to the United Arab Emirates increased significantly in 2011 (January-November), with a €206 M turnover and a 31% rise compare to the same period in 2010 . France is the 15th food supplier of the U.A.E. Historically French exports to the Middle East were essentially made up of poultry and dairy products. Since a few years, French producers are offering a diversity of products, with also significant exports of apples, biscuits and chocolates, fine products like foie gras, oysters, caviar, tapenades, dips, condiments, mineral water and other beverages…   This growth is in line with the expanding Middle Eastern food service market as it continues to develop rapidly due to a rising population, purchasing power, and a strong hospitality sector. 90% of food items in the GCC are imported and French food products benefit from an excellent reputation (image and quality) in the Middle East.   Moreover, Dubai has a strategic position in the region and is a real trade hub. About 50% of food imports are re-exported to 160 countries including the Gulf countries, the Indian subcontinent, North Africa and East and Central Asia. Therefore, Dubai is one of the largest re-exporters in the world thanks to its efficient infrastructures (ports and airports) associated with large free trade zones.   Both agriculture and the agrifood industry are huge assets of the French economy, making France one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of food and beverages. Agriculture and food industries in France account for about 13% of the value-added of French industry as a whole. This industry employs 557,000 and generates a value-added of €31.7 billion. The agrifood sector in France is the leading industrial sector with a €148bn turnover. It accounts for 1.7% of French GDP and 7.1% of total French exports.   France is also the 5th largest exporter of equipment for the food industry , and is therefore among the leading global providers. France’s strength is its presence on all major food industry markets, especially with French companies exporting machines and equipment for bakeries, milk and meat industries. For instance, France is the first supplier of bakery equipment in the U.A.E with 21% market shares. In 2011 (January-November), French exports of food equipment in the U.AE increased by 20% compare to the same period in 2010 and reached €6 million.   As a consequence, it is not a surprise if France’s presence at Gulfood 2012 will be very strong with almost 100 French exhibitors on our national pavilion: 53 companies will attend the French pavilion dedicated to food, beverages and ingredients while more than 44 will attend the French Pavilion dedicated to equipment and process. And we do not mention the dozens of French companies exhibiting on their own or with their importers. Gulfood for French companies is essential to develop their business in the region. Since its creation, France has not missed a single edition of Gulfood and over the years the French presence has kept growing. Our counterparts from Ubifrance India and Saudi Arabia will join us to participate at Gulfood this year and organize B2B meetings between French companies and importers from these countries.   Last but not least, the French Trade Commission-UBIFRANCE in the United Arab Emirates launched “So French So Good” to promote France’s food-and-drink sector and gastronomy. The successful dinner has been organized at the Sofitel Jumeirah Beach, the 25th October 2011, in conjunction with the French pavilion held at the Speciality Food Festival. We will renew our exclusive event next November.   According to François Sporrer, Director of Ubifrance UAE & Qatar: “With Gulfood as a worldwide event and Speciality Food Festival as an exciting show dedicated to gourmet products, DWTC provides a comprehensive and very efficient platform for food professionals. Therefore, we will undoubtedly increase the French participation on both events in the coming years”.   Press Contact: Tarek SOLIMANE Head of the press office French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE (UAE & Qatar) tarek.solimane@ubifrance.fr Mobile: +971 50 708 24 69   

Building healthy soils in the Gulf area that make it green, reduce water consumption and valorize unemployed local resources becomes a reality through Microhumus Consulting and Engineering. The use of local organic and mineral unemployed resources, considered as waste, in order to build soils in desert environments is a technology used exclusively by Microhumus in the Middle East. Soil building represents a genuine challenge for a region where the environment is a central issue in every debate. Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) enables to characterize local sources of industrial and municipal by-products, to predict the behavior of these materials in terms of biodegradation, microbial activity and the release of fertilizing agents. These analyses allow the design for the new soil to be developed, whilst specifying its agronomic potentialities and setting out how they are expected to evolve over time. Microhumus adapts its recipes to take account of the geo-mechanical properties, agronomic qualities and necessary environmental safety factors (international and local standards). These vary according to the water resources and the planned use (leisure, culture, ornamental, type of vegetation). For FERTIL (UAE):  fertigation project: After a positive feasibility study, Microhumus will implement a demonstrator project in an industrial place (to be voted on the Dec 11).   For TOTAL / SHAMSPOWER (UAE): After a positive feasibility study (phase 1) for TOTAL (one major oil company), Microhumus will implement a demonstrator project in 2011/2012 (phase 2) on the Solar Plant operated by Shamspower, a TOTAL, ABENGOA and MASDAR joint venture.       In France or in the GCC, other projects of soil building / soil improvement are currently in process, and concern also i ndustrial compost and organic fertilizers design. Aimed for industrial (Veolia, Recywaste ...) and high quality organo-mineral fertilizers compost producers (Germiflor, Or Brun, Tonusol...),   these projects include intrant characterization, formula design, process advises, final quality highlighting . For public laboratories and authorities (INERIS, INRA, NIT), Microhumus provides scientific consulting (Sewage or digested sludge innocuousness -or not- for land farming) based on it’s Exclusive and Worlwide technilogical licence from the French National Agronomic Agency.       In France, Microhumus provides to the SITERRE-CaractMat project and characterizes of new materials to be used instead of good soils for soil rebuilding in the cities. 5 organic and organo-mineral materials are currently under analysis by Transmission Electron Microscopy, as well as 4 mineral materials. This project is realized for ADEME (French Agency for Environment and Energy) and Plantes & Cites.     In the field of soil improvement for agriculture , Microhumus is distributing some 100% biodegradable polymers dedicated to reduce water consumption, is defining the protocol and Scientific monitoring of comparative tests (mineral vs organic fertilization dedicated to improve agriculture soils ... ) for several agriculture cooperative.   What distinguishes them: 1)      Their characterization technology in Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) 2)     The construction of soils on the base of different   pedological layers which thus constitute a real floor in the scientific meaning of the term and not just some compost (which is already a positive in itself) 3)     The promotion of organic sub-products and local minerals (no import of peats)     About Microhumus: Microhumus is a company based on the best technologies that comes from a French University (Nancy-university), the French National Agronomic Agency (INRA, the largest in Europe), the GISFI (Scientific Group for Industrial wastelands remediation) and private partner operators.   Clients from Recycling industry, Waste producers, Organic amendment and fertilizers producers, Research laboratories and agencies are using Microhumus’ services for raw materials, final products characterization and for compost and soil improvement.   A phase 3 is planned to create a green belt around the solar plant (circumference = 6 km).       www.microhumus.fr       Microhumus is currently processing some projects of soil building for arid areas (GCC):

Nymphea Environnement is a French company which participated in the WFES from the 16 th to 19 th of January in Abu Dhabi. The company introduced its newest concept and technology to the public during the show. This concept is based on the exploitation of natural resources which are currently unused in the GCC region. Thousands of submarine springs of fresh water exist all over the world and studies have confirmed that the GCC has several possible sources of water which are currently unexploited. This precious water has been wasted for millions of years. Today a French company finally presented a technology to harvest it.   NYMPHEA ENVIRONNEMENT introduced a new resource in water never exploited by men until now: the submarine springs of fresh water. Like common surface springs, numerous submarine springs are present all over the world. Sometimes very deep, sometimes at just a few meters from the coast, the springs exist for thousands of years. The volume of water can be huge. The company has, for example, discovered a spring in Syria that has a flow of 5 000 liters of water per second. This can satisfy the consumption demand for a city of 1 000 000 persons.   10 years ago, Pierre BECKER a French geologist and offshore construction company owner, and his associate Thierry CARLIN, a marine engineer and commercial diver, realized that this phenomenon could be the answer of the growing problem of water scarcity in the world. Therefore, they created in 2000 NYMPHEA ENVIRONNEMENT to take up the challenge to provide people with this fresh water from the sea.   However, Pierre BECKER and Thierry CARLIN wanted to build a company that deeply respects the environment. This desire to preserve the planet led the company to develop a water tapping technology that makes use of natural energy: gravity, buoyancy, water head, etc. No pumps, electricity or fuel are used to obtain fresh water.   In addition, the system collects only the volume of water that was previously lost in the ocean. Therefore the tapping units will never disturb the hydrogeological balances that have existed for thousands of years in some cases.     The installation is built to resist an attack by the sea, particularly storms and swell. The stainless steel structure designed by Nymphea Environnement to fit perfectly on the springs discovered is split in 2 units. The first one insures the water tightness around the spring and avoids any contamination by the sea water.   The second unit is a pressure and overflow management system that hydromechanically regulates different parameters in real time.  The result is that the system only collects the natural volume of water given by the spring and enhances the quality of the water to its best.   The main advantage of the water obtained by the NYMPHEA system is its low cost: 3 to 6 times cheaper than the desalinization plants. Therefore it is mainly intended for human consumption in areas affected by increasing drought. Depending on its quality, this water may also be used for agriculture or industry.   Today, NYMPHEA ENVIRONNEMENT is owned by the VINCI Group, the largest European construction company, and benefits from their worldwide presence, well-established network, and financial capacities. Several contracts have already been signed all around the world. In the Middle-East, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Koweit, the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have a well-known hygrogeological potential in submarine springs.   The company has already worked for the Ministry of Environment in Qatar and has just created a branch office in the UAE. In a world where the cost of energy is increasingly a key issue, this new technology offers a vital alternative to tomorrow’s conventional solutions.         www.nymphea.fr