Alstom opens disconnect switch facility

Alstom Grid Charleroi Plant expands U.S. manufacturing of high-voltage disconnect switches, delivering 800 kV vertical break, center break, double side break, and semi-pantograph designs to U.S. standards for resilient power grid modernization and domestic support.

Alstom Grid celebrated the opening of a new disconnect switch manufacturing facility that will strengthen the company’s ability to deliver switches tailored to the needs of U.S. customers.

Spanning 25,000 square feet, the state-of-the art facility in Charleroi, Pennsylvania complements Alstom Grid's already strong U.S. presence and benefits from a highly-skilled local talent pool with decades of experience in high-voltage equipment, as global suppliers fulfill projects such as the Iraq power order to bolster industrial infrastructure.

The grand opening of the new facility was marked by a ribbon cutting, and a full program of activities made possible through Alstom’s strong working partnerships with the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, General Industries, which constructed and leases the plant, and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, as well as initiatives such as the relay technology license with Hydro-Québec that advance grid protection. Tours of the new production line allowed guests to see how local Alstom workers will use cutting-edge manufacturing processes to deliver disconnect switches customized to U.S. standards and construction requirements. The Charleroi plant is equipped to deliver vertical break, center break, double side break and semi-pantograph switches up to 800 kV, aligning with advances in million-volt switchgear now emerging globally.

Reflecting on the day’s events, President of Alstom Grid Henri Poupart-Lafarge said, “This is a very exciting day for Alstom Grid. As a company, we strive to continually enhance our ability to meet the evolving needs of our customers. With this new facility, we can now deliver locally manufactured disconnect switches to U.S. customers faster, and with stronger domestic support. Alstom Grid is proud to extend our presence in Charleroi, which is already home to our global competency center for the manufacture of dead tank circuit breakers. We are eager to share this new capability with the U.S., and we are committed to creating high-quality job opportunities in this community.”

While the Charleroi facility is focused on engineering and support for the U.S. market, the plant joins Alstom Grid’s disconnect switch and research ‘Centers of Excellence,’ in Canada and Italy, which offer global back-up capacity and the sharing of expertise and insights from Alstom’s global network, including projects like the HV substation in India that demonstrate regional collaboration.

Alstom Grid, which has more than 100 years of experience in electrical transmission technology, is the world leader in disconnect switches. These vital power distribution components are used to completely de-energize electrical circuits for inspection or maintenance, or to redirect the flow of electricity throughout the grid, supporting industry efforts like the Smart Grid demonstration movement that informs modernization. Over the past 40 years, no Alstom disconnect switch has experienced a casting failure and the company’s switches are the only ones to have successfully passed the 2.5 inch ice test, making them a superior choice for operation in harsh conditions.

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