Alstom named Green Champion by Agoria

Alstom has been voted a Green Champion by Agoria, the Belgian federation of technology companies. At its annual event, Agoria – the federation of technology companies – decided to showcase several Belgian Green Champions so that they could share their experiences with other companies operating in the sector. The idea is for these pioneers of the green transition to inspire others. Altogether, nine Green Champions were carefully selected by a panel made up of experts from Agoria and Sirris.

What sets Alstom apart from its competitors is its innovative rail transport solutions developed by its teams in Charleroi, Bruges, Brussels and Mechelen. Alstom employs more than 2000 people in Belgium, including 600 engineers. They are engaged in developing carbon-free mobility – when a traveller chooses the train, they emit 30 times less greenhouse gases than in a car and 20 times less than in a plane.

“I am delighted that we have been voted Green Champions by the experts at Agoria and Sirris. One of Alstom’s aims is to bolster innovation in the area of sustainable and smart mobility”, said Bernard Belvaux, Managing Director for the Benelux countries. “We can be considered an example for others to follow, insofar as the progress made by our research and development teams in Belgium makes a considerable contribution to the success of numerous other green mobility projects throughout the world. To run these products, we continue to recruit talented young people and experienced professionals. At Alstom, these new recruits will have a real opportunity to make a major difference, working at the cutting-edge of innovation.”

Innovation is what enables technology companies to play an important role in the transition over to a low-carbon society.

Among the technologies developed by Alstom’s teams in Belgium – people whose expertise is recognised all over the world – automatic train operation is one of the more notable ones. These smart signalling systems can increase traffic on a like-for-like network basis, while at the same time considerably improving energy performance (30% improvement) and passenger comfort. Meanwhile, Alstom’s teams in Charleroi have developed a unique solution for recovering power brake force, paving the way for energy savings of up to 30%. Such technology is in use on metro systems in Milan, Dubai, Sydney, London, Riyadh and Panama.

Alstom is also involved in building zero-emissions trains powered by hydrogen or batteries, developing appropriate traction systems.