Atel Installationstechnik renamed Alpiq InTec

The merger of Atel and EOS also dominated Energy Services activities during 2009. The reorganisation of the Atel Installationstechnik Group to create the Alpiq InTec Group (AIT Group) was accomplished within a short space of time, and the Alpiq brand was successfully established in the market, as testified by the amount of positive feedback received from customers and employees. As part of the reorganisation, all the building services companies were renamed by mid-2009.

The work to set up the new AIT Group also included the integration of the new companies acquired in 2009, which were incorporated and consolidated without any problems. The most important purchase in 2009 was the acquisition of Rossetto Impianti SpA in Italy's Verona region, which has now been integrated in Alpiq InTec Verona S.p.A. For more than 30 years, Rossetto Impianti has specialised in mechanical plant engineering for the industrial, services and healthcare sectors. This successful company boasts a wealth of experience in planning, implementing, servicing and maintaining power generation facilities and unit heating power stations.

The acquisition of Rossetto Impianti, with its workforce of more than 70 and annual revenue of CHF 28 million (EUR 18 million), ideally complements the AIT Group's established activities in the Northern Italian market. With this acquisition, Alpiq can now operate in the Triveneto region as a one-stop shop offering the full range of building services. This allowed Alpiq to expand its presence in the market during 2009 and capture a leading position in the region.

High order intake

The uneasy global economic conditions during 2009 had widely varying impacts on AIT's various business areas. In Switzerland, the Building Services and Transport Technology business divisions benefited from the high order backlog from 2008, which kept them working to virtually full capacity right from the start of the year. This trend continued throughout the year, with the volume of incoming orders again remaining high for 2009.

Capital spending on public transport remained strong last year, fuelled on the one hand by public-sector stimulus packages that kept demand for services high, especially for transport technology, and on the other hand by consistently low interest rates in the capital market, which additionally boosted construction activities.

Supported by these factors, capacity utilisation remained good throughout the year. This highly favourable order situation allowed a wide range of projects to be carried out simultaneously. This entailed ensuring that sufficient resources were made available for the individual projects, placing even higher demands on staff planning.The positive trend in Central Europe continued in 2009. Here, too, the public transport segment benefited from a high appetite for investment. Conversely, in Italy, the financial and economic crisis was already taking its toll early in the year in the form of lower prices and declining volumes in building services business. The difficult economic environment inevitably affected many areas in the course of the year, with demand dropping particularly sharply in the industrial segment. In Switzerland, declining market prices – despite the high volume of construction – made for harsher competition and placed pressure on prices.

Energy efficiency in demand

Energy efficiency was another priority for AIT during 2009. Activities in this area were further developed and expanded, with the first related marketing measures already being implemented and generating a highly positive resonance among potential customers. In this context, efforts to build up and develop Alpiq EcoServices AG proved most successful.

This fledgling business arm of AIT offers consulting services that help customers to plan energy-efficient new buildings and sustainably operate existing buildings, with emphasis on cutting operating costs and energy consumption while retaining or even enhancing comfort and reducing CO2 emissions. The popularity of energy efficiency and the related services offered by this young company is reflected in an extremely positive volume of incoming orders.

Alpiq helps Coop with its carbon footprint

In 2009, AIT won and implemented a number of important contracts and projects. Alpiq now supports Coop in its bid to become carbon neutral by 2023. The mass merchandiser intends to achieve this, among other things, by phasing out the use of fossil fuels, consistently using waste heat, improving insulation and converting sales outlets to the Minergie standard. As part of a pioneering project, the Refrigeration Technology Department in Interlaken installed the first trans-critical booster refrigeration system in spring 2009.

Another highlight of the year was the new waste incineration plant in the canton of Ticino, where installation work is right on track. Pilot operations commenced at the end of October 2009, and handover to the cantonal waste disposal company is scheduled for February 2010. Alpiq supplied the electromechanical systems for the waste incineration plant, which is designed not only to burn domestic waste but also, using its 20 MW turbine, to harness the steam by-product to generate electricity.

Progress on the Gotthard Base Tunnel was another important focus for AIT in 2009. Following the signing of the works contract for railway technology in 2008, the Transtec Gotthard consortium turned its attention in 2009 to implementation and detailed planning. In autumn, the consortium took over the installation site in Biasca and started construction work right on schedule.

Priority on AlpTransit Gotthard

The AlpTransit Gotthard project will continue to be an important priority for AIT in 2010. The Transtec Gotthard consortium will begin operating at the South installation site in the first six months and start to install the railway technology in the Gotthard Tunnel in mid-year. Energy efficiency continues to play a pivotal role. Alpiq is giving this issue its full attention and intends to further expand activities in this area so as to make an important contribution to cutting CO2 emissions in 2010.