TORINO, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2006--The world's elite amateur athletes have gathered in northwestern Italy and are competing at the XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino. For the past several months, GE Energy crews have been hard at work, installing and maintaining the tons of power, lighting and temperature control equipment needed to stage the massive event.
The Torino Games, which opened February 10 and will close February 26, mark the first of several Olympic competitions for which GE will provide power equipment and a wide range of other services under a long-term contract with the International Olympic Committee. GE's work as a formal Worldwide Partner of the IOC began in 2005 and also covers the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games and the 2012 London Summer Games.
Through its rental business, which supports the special events, commercial and emergency services sectors, GE Energy also has successfully supported previous Olympic competitions, including the 2004 Athens Summer Games. This year's event in Italy, however, represents GE's largest Olympic commitment.
"We are dedicated to helping the Torino Olympic Committee (TOROC) and the International Olympic Committee make this the most successful Games possible," said Lance Hall, General Manager of GE Energy's rental business. "From the sheer volume of human and equipment resources, we have marshaled the expertise to do our part, behind the scenes, to help the Torino Winter Games showcase the best amateur athletes in the world."
For the Torino Games, GE Energy is providing power and heating solutions for all competitive and non-competitive venues, which are located throughout the city and the surrounding Italian Alps. The sites include 14 competition venues, the Olympic Stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies, the international broadcasting and media centers, Medals Plaza, and all three Olympic villages.
The scope of GE's energy activities includes all design, engineering, logistics, mobilization, installation, operations as well as demobilization.
To support the Torino Games, GE has provided/deployed:
-- More than 560 generators, ranging from 3 kilowatts to 1.6 megawatts, which is more than twice the number of generators GE provided to support the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens (280);
-- More than 200 megawatts of power, enough to power 200,000 homes;
-- More than 1,100 indirect, oil-fired and electrical heaters for more than 550 temporary tent structures at 20 different venues;
-- More than 700 kilometers of cable installed by GE - 85% more than the amount of cable for the Athens Games;
-- More than 2,000 electrical distribution panels;
-- More than 280 people in 12 countries, including more than 200 local Italians, to deliver, install and test the equipment and work on the Torino project.
About GE and the Olympic Games
As a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games, GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to a successful Games. Beginning with the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, GE's Olympic partnership is the company's first global sports sponsorship at the corporate level in recent years. From providing power, lighting, security and modular space solutions at Olympic venues to supplying ultrasound and MRI equipment to help doctors treat athletes, GE works closely with the Organizing Committees, local municipalities and other Olympic Partners to understand their needs and deliver solutions that only GE can. NBC Universal, a division of GE, is the exclusive U.S. media partner of the Olympic Games. The GE and NBC Universal partnerships extend through 2012.
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About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2005 revenue of $16.5 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.
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