Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.
April 9, 2013
Tokyo, April 9th, 2013 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501) today announced that Hitachi Power Europe GmbH ("HPE"), a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. , and HPE's client Terna S.A. will turnkey-construct the 660 MW "Ptolemais V" lignite power plant in northern Greece and place it into operation. The contract with Greek energy supplier Public Power Corporation ("PPC") was signed by Terna on 9 March in the presence of representatives from the world of politics and business. The shareholders' meeting of PPC has now given its consent.
The supply offer from HPE and Terna - a proven Greek plant constructor - prevailed in an international bid invitation. As Terna's sub-contractor, HPE is responsible for the entire design engineering. It will also supply the utility steam generator including balance-of-plant and - together with parent Hitachi, Ltd. - the steam turbine generator and the entire flue gas cleaning system. Terna will construct the power plant and place it into operation.
PPC is a quoted company. The majority of its shareholdings are held by the Greek state. Its field of operations range from lignite mining to power generation and distribution. With an installed capacity close to 13,000 MW, PPC disposes of approx. 70％ of Greece's power generation capacity.
The new unit will be built in Ptolemais - an industrial and mining region in northern Greece - some 500 kms from Athens. A number of older lignite units (Ptolemais II to IV) are already in service at the location. The new, highly efficient Unit V will be constructed on the site of a dismantled lignite mine. Building is set to start in 2015 with the plant going into commercial operation in 2019. In view of its considerably higher efficiency, the Ptolemais power plant will not only require substantially less fuel but will also emit much less CO2 than plants already existing today in Greece. HPE subsidiaries Donges SteelTec (steel construction/ main supports) and Meeraner Dampfkesselbau (pressure parts) are integrated into constructing the new power plant.
"This order testifies to Hitachi Power Europe's special competence in lignite matters", says Klaus Dieter Rennert, Chief Executive of the HPE Board of Directors. "After all there are very few plant constructors across the world who have as much know-how in designing and building lignite power plants as we have." The double unit in Neurath with a total capacity of MW 2,200 ranks amongst the most recent of HPE's references in this field. This is where consortium leader HPE constructed two utility steam generators with a global top efficiency figure of up to 43％ and placed them into operation last year. The ultra-modern lignite power plant at Boxberg in Saxony (670 MW capacity) was also handed over to the customer in 2012. Other examples from the 1990s include the following power plants - Lippendorf R&S, Boxberg Q, Schkopau A&B, Elbistan B (Turkey) and Megalopolis 4 (Greece)
Hitachi Power Europe GmbH (HPE), a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., designs and constructs fossil-fired power plants. The plant constructor also supplies key components such as utility steam generators, environmental engineering equipment, turbines and pulverizers. Including subsidiaries, approx. 2,000 staff is on the company's payroll (September 2012). As a market and technology leader - in utility steam generators, for instance - HPE relies on modern, ecologically sound and efficient plants. In this way, the company (head offices in Duisburg) plays a prime role in securing the supply of electricity on its markets.
Hitachi, Ltd., (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2011 (ended March 31, 2012) consolidated revenues totalled 9,665 billion yen ($117.8 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.
