ALSTOM POWER SYSTEMS

Their core work

Alstom Power Systems is the power generation technology division of the Alstom industrial group, headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Their H2020 work centers on concentrating solar power (CSP) plant engineering — specifically making solar thermal plants commercially viable through molten salt energy storage and intelligent dispatch systems. In the PreFlexMS project they led, they contributed industrial-scale expertise in steam generator design and thermal system integration, enabling a solar plant to behave like a dispatchable power source rather than an intermittent one. Their secondary involvement in RESLAG reflects an interest in recovering heat value from industrial waste streams, likely connected to their broader thermal power generation portfolio.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both H2020 projects began in 2015, so there is no meaningful timeline spread to trace a genuine keyword shift — all documented keywords come from the first project (PreFlexMS), and RESLAG carries none. With only two concurrent project entries, it is not possible to identify a true evolution of focus within the H2020 period. What can be said is that their documented EU research activity reflects a snapshot of interest at a specific moment: 2015, when CSP with thermal storage was emerging as a commercially promising dispatchability solution for grid operators.

With only two concurrent projects, both from 2015, no forward trend can be reliably inferred — any future collaboration interest should be verified against their current GE Renewable Energy / Alstom successor entity activities.

How they like to work

Alstom Power Systems took the coordinator role in their flagship project (PreFlexMS), suggesting they are capable of leading technically complex consortia rather than simply following. Their 34 unique partners across 11 countries in just two projects implies they join large, multi-national Innovation Actions rather than small bilateral partnerships. This profile is typical of a large industrial anchor that sets technical requirements and integrates contributions from research institutes and SMEs around it.

Across two projects, Alstom Power Systems engaged 34 unique partners in 11 countries — a notably broad network for such a small project portfolio, pointing to large consortium structures rather than tight bilateral arrangements. Their geographic reach spans multiple EU member states with no evident single-country concentration.

What sets them apart

Alstom Power Systems brings industrial-scale power plant engineering competence to research consortia — a profile that is rare among academic or SME-dominated EU project networks. Their ability to coordinate a full Innovation Action on CSP technology means they can translate research outputs into viable plant designs, not just publish findings. Potential partners should note that Alstom's power division was acquired by GE in 2015, and this legal entity may have been restructured or absorbed — verifying the current organizational continuity before initiating contact is strongly advised.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PreFlexMS
  Coordinator role with EUR 1.22M in funding, targeting one of the core commercial barriers to CSP adoption — making solar thermal plants as dispatchable as gas peakers through integrated molten salt storage and forecasting.
• RESLAG
  Unusual adjacency for a power generation company — participation in a steel slag valorization project signals interest in circular economy feedstocks for energy-intensive industrial processes.