ALSTOM YACHTS (AKER YARDS)

Interesting superyachts built by Aker Yachts and Alstom include superyacht KOGO and TURAMA. Aker Yards ASA or Aker Yachts, one of the world's five largest shipbuilders, is an international shipbuilding company focusing on sophisticated sea-going vessels. The company has made a prominent position for itself in the yacht making world in terms of innovation, product range, technology, experience and capacity. The shipyard’s product range includes cruise vessels and ferries, merchant vessels, offshore and specialized vessels. Aker Yards, with a turnover of EUR 1495 million in 2004, comprises of 13 yards in Norway, Finland, Germany, Romania and Brazil, and has approximately 13000 employees. The company has 13 yards in 5 countries, which exhibits supreme ability to implement synergies. Aker Yards Marine provides high quality technical support, innovative designs, new technology applications, and production and shipbuilding business practices, to the marine community.

The shipyard implemented the Alstom Marine, few years after Aker Yards, and formed a company which would benefit from unique design competence, combining the long tradition of French and Finnish cruise yacht making that has produced icons such as SS France, Queen Mary 2, the Voyager class and the Freedom class ships. Alstom is a leader in the international market of power generation and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. The company builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro globally, and provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide range of energy sources, including hydro, gas and coal. The Group employs 69,000 people in 70 nations, and had orders of Eur 15.8 billion in 2004/05.

Alstom Yachts (Aker Yards), presently chaired by Patrick Kron is capable to fully leverage Chantiers de l’Atlantique's large industrial capacity in cruise ships and naval vessels in Saint-Nazaire. The shipyard is also built to take up construction of very large ships and is able to respond to the cruise market that demands vessels of ever-increasing size. Chantiers de l’Atlantique, one of Europe’s largest shipyards, has been known to the world as the birthplace of Cunard’s new ocean liner, Queen Mary 2. “QM2” has been the 111th passenger ship built in the shipyard, since the early 1860’s. Since the 19th century, there have been many popular liners sailing for French firms which have been built in Saint-Nazaire. This also includes Ile de France, Normandie, France.

Alstom Yachts have always focused on constructing high value added ships which give a world class cruising experience. Further, the shipyard branches out itself into Alstom Power and Alstom Transport. Alstom Power designs, manufactures, supplies and services state-of-the-art products and systems for the power generation sector and industrial markets. The company covers all energy sources and offers the most advanced solutions available for coal- and gas-fired plants. Alstom is also the leading provider of conventional islands for nuclear plants and has taken an initiative in renewable energy solutions through its strong position in the hydropower market and its latest entry into the wind power market.

The group provides, integrates and retains all components necessary to deliver clean power solutions - from turbines and boilers to air quality control and energy recovery systems. The company has an extensive experience in retrofitting, upgrading, refurbishing and modernising existing power plant equipment. Alstom Power provides an unrivalled expertise in project management for a variety of power generation systems, from small to large, from single equipment to complete turnkey solutions. The group has supplied major equipment for 25% of the worldwide installed base.

A promoter of sustainable mobility, Alstom Transport creates and promotes the entire range of systems, equipment and service in the railway market. The company is one of the leaders across the global transport market. The progress made in technical solutions and infrastructure projects is leading to a steep rise in the numbers of customers. The company has made its presence felt in over 60 countries. With 26,000 employees, Alstom Transport’s strength lies in its ability to manage entire transport systems, taking in rolling stock, signaling, infrastructure and maintenance, and to offer “turnkey” solutions.

Alstom Yachts, on 4th January 2006, joined forces in shipbuilding and become one of the world leaders in the yacht building industry. The combination of Aker Yards, Alstom Marine and Chantiers de l’Atlantique is an a combination that promises to make the shipyard a champion, unique especially for its range of cruise liners and also strives to improve its approach in all areas of corporate responsibility, covering environmental impact, ties with local communities, ethics, human resources and supplier relations.