CSR briefs

Under a Bt15-billion deal struck with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Alstom in a consortium with Sumitomo Corp of Japan will build a second 850-megawatt power plant in Bangkok. 

This will be Alstom’s first combined-cycle power plant contract with Egat and the first CCPP in the world to feature Alstom’s upgraded GT26 gas turbine. Alstom is a global power and transport company.

“This success reinforces our customer’s confidence in our technology to produce clean, flexible and efficient power for Thai consumers and businesses,” said Mark Coxon, senior vice president of Alstom’s gas business. “We are happy to support Thailand’s efforts to meet its energy demands today and in the future.”

This contract strengthens the group’s position as a key player in the power-generation infrastructure in Thailand, having built more than 7 gigawatts of the installed capacity of the country. 

This includes the engineering, procurement and construction of several gas-fired plants, including the 730-megawatt Bowin, 350MW Bang Bo and 1,520MW Kaeng Khoi 2 projects. Alstom also supplied equipment for Thailand’s first CCPP in Rayong.

“Clean, efficient, reliable and flexible power generation” is the catchphrase Alstom uses to sell its GT24 and GT26 gas turbines.

Alstom says on its website that unlike conventional turbines, fuel is injected into a second burner set and spontaneously ignites in the following annular combustion zone, the SeV (sequential environmental) combustor, thereby reheating the air and further expanding it through four low-pressure turbine stages. The temperature of the eV combustor is maintained at a nearly constant level, resulting in lower emissions of oxides of nitrogen – and cleaner power.

 

Lenovo rated ‘prime’ in CSR

Lenovo is rated as “Prime” by Oekom Research, an independent research institute specialising in corporate-responsibility assessments. 

The China-based computer-hardware and electronics company has also been selected as a constituent stock of the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index. This is the third year of the index and the third in which Lenovo has been selected. 

Lenovo’s “AA” ranking in 2012 is an improvement from the “A+” rating it received in 2011. For the second consecutive year, Lenovo has earned a position on the index’s Honour Board, which puts it among the top 10 of the 636 companies whose corporate sustainability performance was examined. In addition, Lenovo is the top-rated company in the information-technology sector and the only company in its sector among the Hong Kong top 20.

Lenovo is a signatory and member of the United Nations Global Compact, a public-private strategic policy initiative for businesses committed to aligning operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

The Oekom Corporate Rating is based on a set of criteria for ethical assessment of companies. This includes assessing companies’ responsibility towards social sustainability and environmental sustainability. Lenovo's “Prime” rating means it is seen by Oekom Research as one of the world’s best of the 17 companies in Oekom’s IT/Computers, Peripherals & Office Electronics Industry group.

 

Donation for needy kids

Father Peter Pattarapong Srivorakul, president of the Father Ray Foundation, has accepted a donation of medicine, medical supplies, detergent, cash, personal-care products and lunch for 84 needy children from Bumrungrad International Hospital. 

The donation was made as Mack Banner, CEO of Bumrungrad, recently led a visit by the Bangkok hospital’s management team to Father Ray Children’s Home in Pattaya. 

The activity also included an education session in personal hygiene to improve the children’s health. The visit and donation were part of Bumrungrad's Contribution to a Healthier Society corporate social responsibility programme.