Mon Mar 19, 2012 1:56pm EDT
* CEO says open to wind power acquisitions
* Says organic growth is main priority
CARNET, France, March 19 (Reuters) - French engineering group Alstom is open to acquisitions in the wind-energy sector, its chief executive said on Monday, though he added the priority was for organic growth.
"Our strategy [for wind power] is based on organic development, on the work of our engineers, said Patrick Kron.
He was speaking at an event to inaugurate what Alstom said was the largest offshore wind turbine in the world at Carnet, on the west coast of France.
"If one day there is an opportunity to develop, we will see, but let's not speculate," he said.
Last week Kron told investors he would not undertake risky deals after speculation that Alstom was seeking targets to expand its wind power business, following press reports it was looking at wind turbine makers Gamesa of Spain, Vestas of Denmark and REpower of Germany.
Alstom, along with French utility EDF's EDF.PA unit EDF Energies Nouvelles, is part of one of three consortia bidding to build France's first offshore wind parks, which are massive projects with as many as 600 turbines and three gigawatts of capacity in a 10 billion euro first phase off the Normandy and Brittany coasts.
"Today we have a clear objective: win this tender offer and then bid for future offers," Kron said.
Wind turbines are a new business for Alstom, which produces TGV and Eurostar trains, builds turbines for power stations and has built the Queen Mary 2, the world's largest ocean liner.
The company on Monday inaugurated the first prototype of its Haliade offshore wind turbine, whose diameter of 153 metres - roughly half the height of the Eiffel tower - will make it the world's largest once it is launched in 2014.
If the consortium's bid is successful, Alstom has pledged to establish up to four plants to produce wind turbine components in north-western France through an investment of 100 million euros ($132.42 million).
The company is also eyeing expansion into the fast-developing European offshore wind market, Frederic Hendrick, Alstom's vice president of offshore wind operations, told reporters in Carnet.
Thread abonnieren
