Building on its commitment to supporting the energy infrastructure in Sudan, Siemens has signed a long-term agreement with the Sudanese Thermal Power Generating Company (STPGC) to provide service and maintenance for the power generating assets and related components operating at the 337 megawatt (MW) Port Sudan and 502 MW Garri power plants.
- First tranche comprises 24 trains
- Maintenance contract for 15 years
- Construction of a maintenance workshop
State-owned Israel Railways (ISR) and Siemens have signed a contract for the delivery of 60 Desiro HC regional trainsets over the next ten years. The order has a total value of around €900 million. The double-decker trains can be ordered in 4-car as well as 6-car configurations. Upon signing the contract, Siemens received the first call for 24 trains – six in a 4-car and 18 in a 6-car configuration. The order includes the maintenance of the first 24 trains over a period of 15 years, the construction of a maintenance workshop in Ashkelon, and further options for maintenance.
"This order is strategically important for us in two respects. For the first time in our company's history, we will be delivering complete trains to Israel. And also for the first time, we've sold our innovative Desiro HC train platform outside of Germany," said Sabrina Soussan, CEO of the Mobility Division.
3i is the Siemens-wide program that promotes, implements and rewards employee ideas and initiatives. What is a good 3i idea? It is one that identifies "what" should be improved, outlines "how" something can be improved and explains "why" the idea's implementation will be a real improvement for our customers, employees and/or Siemens itself.
On January 24, 2018, the most powerful high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transformer began its journey from the transformer factory in Nuremberg, Germany, to China. The transformer will first be transported to the harbor in Nuremberg by special heavy load transporter, where it will be loaded onto a ship. Its journey will take it to Rotterdam via the Main-Danube Canal, and from there it will be shipped to China, where it will arrive after several weeks on the high seas. In July 2016, Siemens received an order to manufacture four transformers of this type. About a year later, the world’s first 1,100 kV transformer was completed and successfully passed the tests in the testing facility. The enormous dimensions of the transformer – 37.5 meters long, 14.4 meters tall, and 12 meters wide – posed a logistical challenge for the team. In operation, the transformer weighs just under 900 tons and its efficiency is well above 99% of the rated power. For the first time, the transformer will enable a high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission with low losses over a record distance of 3,284 kilometers with a transmission capacity of 12 gigawatts. HVDC transformers are part of the converter station that convert alternating current into direct current at the beginning of the transmission line and convert it back again at the end of the line. The conversion from alternating current to direct current helps to transmit energy over long distances with low losses. Transformers are key components of an HVDC line: Thanks to the transformer, the Changji-Guquan project will be able to transmit direct current with a huge 1,110 kilovolts for the first time in the world. The new transformer not only makes the transmission of this record voltage level possible, but it is also the world’s most powerful tested transformer with a capacity of 587 megavoltamperes. Siemens has thus achieved a new dimension in high-voltage direct-current transmission. The HVDC line between Changji and Guquan will be operated by State Grid Corporation (SGCC), a Chinese grid operator. The connection is expected to begin operation in 2019.
Scandinavia is the first region in the world to rely increasingly on battery-powered and thus environmentally-friendly technologies in the shipbuilding industry. After "Ampere", the world's first electrical ferry in Norway, and a follow-up order of the Finnish shipping company FinFerries, Siemens has now received an order from Norwegian ferry operator Fjord1. Ampere was put into operation in Norway in May 2015, and has traveled a distance equivalent to more than 1.5 times around the equator. With the change from diesel propulsion to battery, Norwegian ship owner Norled has reduced the cost of fuel by 60 percent. Now Siemens has tailor-made a suitable technical solution for Fjord1. With this contract, the first four battery-driven ferries in the world will run on technology developed and manufactured by Siemens.
"Elektra" - the newest member of the electric ferry fleet: In June 2017, the Elektra began regular operation between Nauvo and Parainen in the Turku archipelago. Battery packs, which are charged via the land-based charging stations in the harbor for use by the ferry, serve as the primary source of energy, with Diesel engines used as emergency power units. The Elektra is also Europe's largest car ferry. At nearly 98 meters long and 16 meters wide, the Elektra can transport up to 90 cars per trip. The ferry purchased by FinFerries will now be traveling this route every 15 minutes. The batteries will be charged in roughly five minutes while cars move off and onto the ferry. The two lithium-ion batteries each have a capacity of 530 kWh.
San Francisco is considered an especially environmentally friendly city. The urban environment is characterized by an extensive public transport system. In September 2014, San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has awarded Siemens a contract to deliver an initial 175 light rail cars at a value of USD648 million. The order included an option for additional 85 cars. One year later, SFMTA exercised its option for another 40 light rail vehicles for the public mass transit network. This is one of the biggest orders for light rail cars ever placed in the USA. The trains are being built in the Siemens plant in Sacramento. Today, every third tram or light rail vehicle in the USA is made by Siemens.
More than 100 years ago - on August 5, 1914 - the first electric traffic light went into operation, a milestone for traffic control. Today, it is hard to imagine a world without the redyellow-green signals. And the success story of the traffic lights is continuing with "1-watt technology". This achievement has enabled Siemens to revolutionize the market and improve the energy efficiency of standard 230 V LED technology by up to 85 percent, a huge benefit for tight city budgets and for the environment. Equipped with the new technology, a typical intersection with around 55 traffic signals (red - yellow - green) avoids more than 6,000 kilograms of harmful carbon emissions a year.
Over 100 years ago, on August 5, 1914, the first electric traffic light was installed on a city street in Cleveland, Ohio, marking a milestone in traffic management. Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz (photo), at that time the busiest intersection in Europe, installed the famous five-sided traffic light tower made by Siemens in 1924. Today the red-yellow-green signals are an integral part of city landscapes worldwide. On the outside, traffic lights haven’t changed much over the last decades. But inside a traffic light, groundbreaking changes have taken place. Traffic lights have become more intelligent over the years: modern traffic management takes into account the current traffic situation and optimizes traffic flow, for example, by allowing "green waves" or by prioritizing emergency vehicles, buses, and trams.
On October 12, 1847, Johann Georg Halske and Werner von Siemens founded Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske in Berlin. In doing so, they laid the foundation for a company that represents innovative strength, internationality, a focus on quality and customers, the ability to withstand crises, adaptability, and responsibility. These characteristics have turned a 10-man operation on Schöneberger St. 19 in Berlin into a successful global company that has written and is writing innovation and technology history.