Alstom SA announced that it has signed a EUR 250 million contract with Metals & Engineering Corporation (METEC) to supply turbines and generators for the hydro power plant of the Grand Renaissance dam, located on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. The power plant will be operated by EEPCO. Alstom will supply and supervise the installation of all electromechanical equipment for the plant, including eight 375 MW turbines and eight generators for the first phase.

The contract also includes engineering and power plant commissioning. The commissioning will start in late 2013 and take place in successive steps over a three-year-period. In line with the expectations of the Ethiopian government, Alstom will oversee a programme to develop skills and know-how locally in the area of hydroelectricity.