French company Alstom specialized in power generation and railway infrasctucture is going to install a unit to provide environmental solutions for mining and steel companies in Belo Horizonte, capital of the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
The company and the Minas's government has just signed a letter of intention concerning the installation.
Alstom, a multinational, is renowned for its work in the energy and transportation sectors. With an investment of 40 million reais (US$ 19 million) over the course of three years, the firm will implement an engineering office aimed at developing environmental projects, such as air and water treatment, for mineral extraction and processing industries.
Owing to the fact that work in this field is very specific, the company opted for not installing an industrial plant upfront. The items in the company's projects are going to be developed by outsourced companies. The new enterprise should generate approximately 500 direct and indirect jobs.
One of the reasons why Minas Gerais was selected, according to company representatives, are the implementation projects for iron and steel industries that are scheduled for the upcoming years in the state.
"It is very interesting for Alstom to work in the environment sector right now," said the director general at Alstom, José Carlos Dias Almeida.
Based in France, Alstom began operating in Brazil in 1995, at first in the field of subway and railway signalling, after Alstom bought the CMW Equipamentos company, a manufacturer of railway signals. Afterwards, Alstom also saw opportunities for operating in other fields of the railway sector, such as the manufacturing of subway cars in Brazil.
Presently, the company has a production capacity for 300 wagons per year. Alstom exports 80% of its rolling stock and 40% of its railway signalling production.
It also builds operation control centers and does maintenance and modernization of wagons and locomotives. The company has been operating for 50 years now in the heavy energy sector as well.
Anba
