· Bosch know-how as basis for comprehensive foundry service

· Rapid ramp-up from prototype to mass-production

With its MEMS, Bosch continues to hold the uncontested position of world market leader for micromechanical sensors. What is less well known is that, since 2001, 'fabless companies' have also been making use of the Stuttgart-based company's MEMS manufacturing technology, which has been perfected over two decades. These many years of experience provide a solid foundation for high quality, and are a guarantee of reliable operation – whether in the automobile or in consumer electronics. MEMS start-ups can also turn to the foundry. They might do so once sampling has been successful and their processes need adjusting to industrial-scale mass-production. Fears that trade secrets might be given away are unfounded: dealing responsibly with sensitive project data is everyday routine for Bosch. If it were not, Bosch would never have become the world's largest supplier to nearly every automaker.

For Bosch, the core of its MEMS foundry service is its competent continuation of a process development started by the customer, its short ramp-up times, and its just-in-time production. Anyone taking advantage of this competence will usually receive their MEMS components on six-or eight-inch wafers for further processing. On request, however, Bosch can do more, providing support in the process development phase. Bosch know-how can also help once the wafers have been produced. It offers services such as testing the finished wafers, integrating CMOS evaluation electronics on the MEMS chip, or subsequently separating the wafers into chips and packaging them.

Since production began in 1995, Bosch has manufactured well over one billion MEMS components at its Reutlingen plant. Its position as world market leader was also confirmed by an analysis conducted by the market observer iSuppli in March 2009: with its MEMS sensors for the automotive industry, Bosch currently generates more sales than its two closest rivals together. For its innovative further development of MEMS production technology Bosch has won prestigious awards, most recently the German Future Prize, Federal President's Award for Technology and Innovation 2008.

Readers' contact:
Thomas Koch
Phone +49 7121 35-39632

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 280,000 associates generated sales of 45.1 billion euros in fiscal 2008. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros, or eight percent of its sales revenue, for research and development, and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial.

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering." The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.

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Wärtsilä has been responsible for the engineering, procurement and project management. Its scope of supply has included 11 Wärtsilä 18V46 generating sets, each with a rated capacity in excess of 17 MW. An additional 14 MW of electricity is generated by a combined cycle steam turbine, which utilizes the waste heat from the engines. The plant will be operated and maintained by Wärtsilä Pakistan under an initial 5-year agreement.

The electricity produced by the plant will be supplied to the national grid, and will thus ease to some extent the country's existing power shortage. Furthermore, since the local fuel supply situation is often unreliable, the fuel flexibility of the Wärtsilä engines offers an ideal solution for this location. Wärtsilä's technology enables the utilization of locally available fuel with the highest possible efficiency to ensure a reliable supply of power to the grid. The plant's life cycle efficiency is rated at an outstanding 45%, and the average availability of its power supply is estimated to average 88%.

Wärtsilä and the Nishat Group have a long established relationship, Nishat having purchased its first Wärtsilä engines in 2003. Today, the company owns some 600 MW of Wärtsilä power plants.

In his message to the inauguration, Ole Johansson, CEO of Wärtsilä Corporation said: 'This inauguration marks a significant milestone in the strong and lasting relationship between our companies. Wärtsilä has a global track record of showing strong commitment to its customers, and this commitment is evidenced by the fact that we established Wärtsilä Pakistan already 15 years ago, in 1994. This local presence enables us to support our operations in Pakistan, and train local personnel in the efficient operation and service of our power plant installations. Nishat Power Ltd is a prestigious project for Pakistan in general, and for the Nishat Group in particular. We congratulate everyone involved and are proud to play our part in providing Pakistan with reliable and sustainable power.'

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.
In 2008, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with 19,000 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.

www.wartsila.com

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"The current economic situation requires a lean organization with clearer, explicitly defined responsibilities for business results, and short decision-making paths. We must restore operational and economic balance to DB Schenker Rail, especially in Germany," said Dr. Alexander Hedderich, CEO of DB Schenker Rail. "Our company's numerous activities in Europe have to be linked together to form a real network in order to generate benefits for our customers and foster business success. A streamlined management structure and the clear assignment of responsibility for results within our company are the basis for achieving these goals."

DB Schenker Rail's organizational concept should remain basically unchanged, although it will be simplified at the business unit level. Plans call for the business unit to continue to be organized into three regional business segments: Germany/Region Central, Region West and Region East, as well as four business unit functions managed on a pan-European basis: Sales, Operations, Human Resources and Finance. The new dimension will be that the previous Automotive and Intermodal Business Segments will be integrated into the European and German sales organization. Development of a separate combined transport (CT) railroad at Intermodal will be discontinued. The individual companies assigned to the regions will be responsible for their profit and loss.

Parallel to the structural modifications, there will also be changes in the management of the business unit and the business segments. Alexander Hedderich, Head of the business unit, will also be placed in charge of the Germany/Region Central Business Segment. Hans-Georg Werner, the current Head of Intermodal, will take over as Head of Region East. Region West will continue to be managed by Keith Heller. Karsten Sachsenröder will continue as Head of Sales Europe and Region Central, and will also be temporarily responsible for Intermodal activities. Axel Marschall will continue as Head of Automotive Europe.

Christian Kuhn will be responsible for Operations at the European Management Board level as well as in the Germany/Region Central Business Segment. Kuhn is returning to DB Schenker Rail, although he will continue as a member of the IQ Martrade Holding and Management advisory board, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of their Indian subsidiary company, Tata Martrade International Logistics Ltd. Furthermore Martrade and DB Schenker will continue and intensify their already established project-orientated cooperation. "Based on Christian Kuhn's extensive experience, we are entrusting him with the key tasks of stabilizing operations in Germany and shaping the European operations network," said Alexander Hedderich.

Talks are currently underway with Dr. Christoph Wolff regarding new responsibilities at DB Schenker Rail or within the DB Group.

Edmund Schlummer, who was previously Head of Region Central, has decided to leave the company at the end of the year. "We would like to express our deep thanks to Edmund Schlummer for making a major contribution towards the further development of our business in Europe," said Hedderich.

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Under the terms of the agreement, similar to the existing 600MW supply contract which commenced in October 2007, Drax will supply power to Centrica at a price set with reference to international coal prices and agreed fixed clean dark spreads, while Centrica will deliver matching carbon allowances.

The agreement, which secures additional volumes of coal-indexed power, is in line with Centrica's strategy to ensure secure energy supplies for its customers and to diversify its fuel mix, further reducing its overall exposure to the gas price in the UK.

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'We are committed to bringing to Vietnam our state-of-the-art technologies in order to best support this fast growing country to meet the increasing demand for cement consumption during the process of the national modernization and industrialization', said Mr. Erdal Elver, President and CEO of Siemens Vietnam.

Siemens Industry Solutions is supplying the complete range of the Sicement product portfolio for equipping cement works including electrical equipment and automation systems for the new line. At the heart of the automation solution is a process control system based on Simatic PCS7. The scope of supply also includes the major part of the process instrumentation as well as the analyzers and special instrumentation. The electrical equipment comprises the cabling for the medium and low-voltage distribution systems, the MV switchgear units, the UPS and battery systems, the power factor compensation system, transformers, the low-voltage distribution panels with intelligent MCCs (motor control centers) and variable speed drives. These are supplemented by earthing and lightning protection equipment, lighting, fire detection and alarm systems, the CCTV and the telephone system. Siemens is also responsible for the design and engineering of the electrical equipment, including supervision of installation and commissioning as well as on-site training of the operating personnel.

For further information about solutions for the cement industry at: http://www.siemens.com/cement

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the world's leading supplier of production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. With integrated automation technologies as well as comprehensive industry-specific solutions, Siemens increases the productivity, efficiency and flexibility of its customers in the fields of industry and infrastructure. The Sector consists of six Divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility and Osram. With around 222,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry posted in fiscal year 2008 a profit of EUR3.86 billion with revenues totaling EUR38 billion. www.siemens.com/industry

With the business activities of Siemens VAI Metal Technologies, (Linz, Austria), Siemens Water Technologies (Warrendale, Pa., U.S.A.), and Industry Technologies, (Erlangen, Germany), the Siemens Industry Solutions Division(Erlangen, Germany) is one of the world's leading solution and service providers for industrial and infrastructure facilities. Using its own products, systems and process technologies, Industry Solutions develops and builds plants for end customers, commissions them and provides support during their entire life cycle. With around 31,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry Solutions achieved an order intake of EUR 8.415 billon in fiscal year 2008.

Further information and downloads at:
http://www.siemens.com/industry-solutions

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China owns the world's third largest coal reserves, and naturally looks into ways of valuing them in order to reduce its growing dependency on foreign energy sources and feedstock.
Several technologies based on coal gasification allow the transformation of coal into liquid petroleum or chemical products. These gasification processes require huge quantities of oxygen.

In this context, Air Liquide announces it has signed a long-term contract with Yutianhua, Shaanxi Yulin Natural Gas Chemical Industry. Under the terms of the agreement, Air Liquide will invest about €60 million in a new large Air Separation Unit (ASU) - with a production capacity of 2,700 tonnes of oxygen per day - to supply oxygen and nitrogen to Yutianhua. The ASU, designed and built by Air Liquide Hangzhou, the Air Liquide engineering center in China, will use Air Liquide's latest technologies providing both high reliability and energy efficiency.

Yutianhua, a natural gas based methanol player in China, has a current production capacity of 510 thousand tonnes per year. In 2008, Yutianhua launched an additional 600 thousand tonnes per year methanol coal-based project with a total investment of 3 billion RMB. This is the first phase of a major methanol project. Its unit is located in Yuheng Chemical Industrial Park of Yulin City, Shaanxi Province. Air Liquide's new ASU will be located next to the Yutianhua site.

Jean-Pierre Duprieu, Vice President Asia-Pacific and a member of the Air Liquide's Executive Committee, said: 'We want to thank Yutianhua for its trust in us, as well as the Yulin authorities for their continuous support. This success illustrates Air Liquide's ability to develop leading edge technologies and high value-added solutions for this industry as well as the Group's commitment in China. This investment offers further illustration of the acceleration of our development in emerging economies, with a share of Group revenue that will have doubled over 6 years'.

Mr. Han Delin, Chairman of Yutianhua, added: 'Yutianhua's methanol project is one of the key projects in Shaanxi, and is strongly supported by the local and provincial governments. After fruitful discussions, we have decided to entrust Air Liquide with our industrial gas needs. Air Liquide has demonstrated that it understands our needs and is competitive. We are happy to outsource our industrial gas needs and to enter into a long-term partnership with Air Liquide that enables us to benefit from its worldwide expertise.'

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The technical center is located in Goregaon, a suburb of Mumbai, and is shared by Wacker Chemie India Pvt. Ltd., a 100 percent subsidiary, and the joint venture Wacker Metroark Chemicals Pvt. Ltd, where WACKER holds 51 percent of the shares. A few weeks ago, the sales subsidiaries moved into a newly constructed building with offices covering about 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2). The new center will offer WACKER POLYMERS' and WACKER SILICONES' customers support in developing new products and product applications for the Indian market, and in conducting comparative lab testing of construction products with regards to locally available raw materials, climatic conditions and regional construction methods.

The focus is on VINNAPAS® dispersible polymer powder formulations for manufacturing polymer-modified dry-mix mortars for the regional construction industry. Additional products to be emphasized are polymer dispersions, silicone emulsions, silicone resins, silanes and sealants. Bundling a sales and technical center under one roof enables closer teamwork between the sales and development teams, resulting in optimal customer support.

Vigorous growth in India's economy, particularly in the construction and coatings sector, prompted setting up this new technical center. With it, WACKER wants to bolster its technological leadership in top-quality chemical raw materials. 'The Mumbai technical center is another important milestone in our growth strategy for Asia and particularly India,' explained Dr. Willhelm Sittenthaler, WACKER Executive Board member responsible for Asia, at the opening ceremony. The objective is to meet the individual needs of Indian customers locally and to support and test new applications, added Sittenthaler. In this way, the Munich-based WACKER Group intends to further consolidate and expand its market position in collaboration with customers. Like its counterparts in Germany, the USA, Russia, China, Korea, Singapore, Brazil, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, the new center in Mumbai will serve to establish a strong technical support network for developing individual, tailor-made solutions locally. The technical center Mumbai is furnished with state-of-the-art laboratory and test equipment. But, that's not all: the 'WACKER House' itself also serves as a reference and demonstration object – as most of the products used in constructing the building contained WACKER technologies. These range from polymer-modified tile adhesives and grout mortars, self-leveling compounds, polymer-based wood and carpet glues, silicone sealants to seal windows and doors, silicone resin emulsion paints for the exterior façade to dispersion paints for indoor use and cyclodextrin-fragrance-complexes in the wall paints.

Another highlight is the integral training center for the field of construction chemicals: the WACKER ACADEMY. Its purpose is to promote the transfer of knowledge to local customers, applicators and business partners. Catering to the specific needs of the Indian construction chemicals sector, its curriculum provides an opportunity to learn about all relevant aspects of modern polymer and silicone chemistry and their applications. Close proximity to the applications labs fosters a lively exchange of expertise and lays the optimal groundwork for customer service. Thus, the WACKER ACADEMY offers an ideal platform for sector-specific networking between customers, distribution partners and WACKER specialists.

The WACKER Group has already been supplying chemicals to India since the 1970s. In 1998, the joint venture Wacker Metroark Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. has been established in Kolkata, as early as 1999, the site started up production of different silicone products. The local subsidiary, Wacker Chemie India Pvt. Ltd., was founded in 2007 in response to increasing market demands and potentials.

WACKER POLYMERS
WACKER POLYMERS is a leading producer of state-of-the-art binders and polymer additives in the form of dispersible polymer powders and dispersions, polyvinyl acetates, surface coating resins and polyvinyl alcohol solutions. These products are used by companies in the construction, automotive, paper and adhesives sectors, as well as by manufacturers of printing inks and surface coatings. WACKER POLYMERS has production sites in Germany, China and the USA, as well as a global sales network and technical centers in all major regions.

WACKER SILICONES
WACKER SILICONES is one of the world's largest silicone manufacturers, with over 3,000 highly specialized and innovative products. The division's portfolio ranges from silicone fluids, emulsions, resins, elastomers and sealants to silanes and pyrogenic silicas. These products stand out due to their significant value-adding potential – enhancing both the benefits and performance of customers' end products. Silicone products from WACKER SILICONES find application in such sectors as construction, chemicals, cosmetics, textiles, automotive, paper and electronics.

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'Collaborating with the world's leading precise real-time location system provider will allow us to continue to develop innovative solutions for our customers who wish to significantly increase their productivity and quality in these tough economic times,' explains Anders Lindquist, President MVI Division at Atlas Copco Industrial Technique. 'We became aware of the potential of the Ubisense approach to real-time location at our mutual customer, BMW in Regensburg, Germany. Subsequent discussions with potential customers for this type of technology not only in the Motor Vehicles market but also in aerospace, mining and construction equipment as well as discrete manufacturing led us to the idea of pooling our knowledge and resources to create a new family of solutions for our customers.'

The Ubisense system is installed in the production facilities of companies such as BMW, Aston Martin, Caterpillar and Honda. The application at BMW called LIS/TAS involves tracking the industrial tools used on the final assembly line and loading the correct program into the tool automatically based on the specific vehicle being worked upon.

'The introduction of LIS/TAS has resulted in the elimination of the need to scan vehicles in order to identify them', comments Andreas Lehner, project manager at BMW in Regensburg. 'All the project objectives have been met on time and within the planned budget. From the standpoint of value creation, the project is a complete success'.

'This unique relationship allows Atlas Copco Industrial Technique and Ubisense to investigate the key innovations that will drive the next set of standards for use in manufacturing production and enable significant process improvements', comments Terry Phebey, VP Sales Ubisense.

Ubisense Media Contact:
Terry Phebey: EurAsia:
Terry.Phebey@ubisense.net
Tel: +49 231 99955 565

About Atlas Copco Industrial Technique

Atlas Copco's Industrial Technique business area develops, manufactures and markets industrial power tools, assembly systems, software and service. It innovates for superior productivity for applications in the automotive and aerospace industry, general industrial manufacturing and maintenance, and vehicle service worldwide. Principal product development and main manufacturing units are in Sweden and France.
More information on the company is available at www.atlascopco.com.

About Ubisense
Ubisense is the world leader in Precise Real Time Location Systems and Consulting Services, tracking people and assets with unmatched accuracy, and giving enterprises the power to bring visibility and control to previously intractable business processes. With over 400 customers worldwide, Ubisense is revolutionising industries today. Visit www.ubisense.net

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'The enhanced monitoring and control is a key factor in delivering efficiencies and high-service availability in the highly competitive national electricity market in which we operate,' said Darryl Eager, Snowy Hydro manager of Controls Technology. 'Establishing greater connectivity between different systems provides us with the controls and plant reliability that are essential to customer satisfaction and our continued success. Using its integrated architecture driven by Allen‑Bradley ControlLogix programmable automation controllers, the Rockwell Automation solution provides unrivaled connectivity via a wide range of communications protocols.'

'We developed a value engineering process based on Snowy Hydro's project objectives, and designed an innovative team and solution to meet the project's requirements,' said Terry Gebert, vice president and general manager, Rockwell Automation Systems and Solutions business. 'As the emphasis moved to cost reduction and efficiencies, our team adapted to help Snowy Hydro meet its revised objectives.'

Gebert said the first five of the 11 systems have been successfully installed and returned to service, and system manufacturing is well ahead of the site installations.

'Rockwell Automation went to great lengths to establish and maintain a close working relationship with Snowy Hydro, using an integrated project management approach,' said Eager. 'The system design tools were carefully selected to provide ongoing efficiency improvements over the duration of the project.'

The controls upgrade work is expected to be completed in 2012. The Scheme consists of a network of seven power stations, 31 generating units, a pumping station, two pump units, 16 dams and 130 miles of tunnels and aqueducts in New South Wales, Australia.

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Testing was conducted with an independent third party as well as in-house, using SAE Type III methodology. In total, three different comparisons were completed – each representing real-world scenarios for the school bus and medium-duty truck markets. The tests included vehicles with comparable specifications and load factors. In each assessment, the current Cummins ISB was matched against the MaxxForce 7 and the MaxxForce DT with like horsepower and torque ratings.

'We are delighted at the results of our testing of the ISB against the competition. Fuel economy is incredibly important to our customers, and our testing has validated the clear advantage that customers have with Cummins power,' said Tom Hodek – General Manager, Bus Business for Cummins.

In the school bus market, fuel economy tests were conducted to compare the Cummins ISB with both the MaxxForce 7 and the MaxxForce DT.

* Cummins ISB/MaxxForce DT comparison run on a closed track to constitute a rural school bus route produced a 7.6 percent fuel economy advantage for the ISB-powered school bus.
* Cummins ISB/MaxxForce 7 testing to reproduce an urban school bus route was also administered on a closed track and revealed a 17.2 percent fuel economy advantage for the ISB-powered school bus.
* Cummins ISB/MaxxForce 7 comparison on an interstate route to mirror travel to an activity in an adjacent school district resulted in an 18.8 percent fuel economy advantage for the ISB-powered school bus.

Similarly, fuel economy testing was conducted using medium-duty trucks. This testing and analysis was also completed using SAE Type III methodology with similar vehicle and engine specifications.

* Cummins ISB/MaxxForce DT testing on a closed-track route representative of typical urban pickup and delivery routes measured a 9.6 percent fuel economy advantage for the ISB-powered truck.
* Cummins ISB/MaxxForce DT on an interstate route demonstrated a 15.4 percent fuel economy advantage for the ISB-powered truck.

The fuel economy leadership proven by the ISB means lower operating costs. For example, in a typical urban school bus route, the 17.2 percent advantage of the Cummins ISB can equal nearly $1,300 in fuel savings per year for each bus.

This is assuming 15,000 miles (24,140 km) driven annually and a fuel cost of $3.00 per gallon. Likewise, in a medium-duty truck application with annual mileage of 50,000 miles (80,467 km) and the same $3.00 per gallon of fuel assumption, the 15.4 percent fuel economy advantage of the ISB on an interstate route can save customers over $2,700 in fuel per year for each vehicle.

Through the use of various vehicle, engine and test route evaluations, Cummins has demonstrated that the ISB provides the best fuel economy regardless of vehicle specification or duty cycle for the school bus and medium-duty truck market.

To deliver improved fuel economy while meeting the EPA 2010 near-zero emissions standards, Cummins will use Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology. Additional Cummins testing shows an estimated 5 to 9 percent fuel economy advantage with SCR technology compared to an in-cylinder-only solution. 'For applications including school bus and work truck, the engine is the major influence on fuel economy,' Hodek said. 'With our recent testing, we have established our baseline of fuel economy leadership. We fully expect to see increased fuel economy with our 2010 products which will deliver an even greater benefit for our fuel-conscious customers.'

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The new, state-of-the-art workshop provides qualified in-situ capacity and field support and offers a wide range of service functions, including propulsion system repairs, engine component overhaul work and other services. Initially, the facility will be served by 12 highly trained personnel, and additional field-service engineers will be recruited during the coming months.

Wärtsilä currently serves the area from Wärtsilä Sweden's main facilities in Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden, and since 2006 also from a smaller workshop in Sundbyberg close to Stockholm. Wärtsilä currently employs over 300 people in Sweden.

Mr Bo Dahlén, President & General Manager Services, Wärtsilä in Sweden, says: 'Through investing in this workshop we want to ensure the best support for our customers. We have seen an increase in the number of requests for our services on the east coast, and our facilites in Sundbyberg have become too limited to allow us to adequately support these needs. Our marine customers will now have better options for service in the Stockholm area, which might lead to more companies establishing in the region'.

Wärtsilä's investment in the 700m2 service centre at Beckholmen is based upon the notable increase in shipping traffic along Sweden's east coast. Several large shipping companies are already operating services from Stockholm, while more and more cruise and ferry vessels are visiting the Swedish capital. The new freight terminal close to Södertälje is also attracting an increase in containership tonnage to the area. The potential for marine services in the area is, therefore, significant.

Pictures from the inauguration will be available at www.wartsila.com

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.

In 2008, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with 19,000 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com

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'Pure Power Technologies allows Navistar to seamlessly integrate development and production of our power system component technology as we continue to grow globally,' said Daniel C. Ustian, Navistar chairman, president and chief executive officer. 'This supports our industry leadership strategy to produce great products and will serve as a components technology incubator for Navistar's MaxxForce® brand engines.'

Based in Columbia, South Carolina, Pure Power Technologies will operate a research and development center there as well as a manufacturing plant in nearby Blythewood, South Carolina. The Columbia and Blythewood facilities are former Continental assets. Further, the acquisition of these Continental facilities by Navistar prevents their closing as previously announced by Continental. Navistar and Continental will be working on a product transition plan between now and January to assure the needs of both companies are met.

'Housing our advanced manufacturing technology team near the R&D campus will be a key differentiator for Pure Power Technologies. This will enhance our ability to quickly bring new technologies to market,' said Eric Tech, president, Navistar Engine Group.

'The combined strengths that make up Pure Power Technologies will enable breakthrough performance, lean and rapid development cycles and lower overall system costs,' said Ustian. 'These are critical to our business, as customers around the world continue to demand greater engine performance, more efficient power sources and cleaner running vehicles and equipment.'

'The acquisition of Continental's diesel systems business by Navistar is a win-win situation for all parties,' said Kregg Wiggins, senior vice president NAFTA Powertrain Division for Continental. 'Navistar will acquire key fuel injection technologies used in their diesel engine manufacturing business and many of the employees in the Blythewood and Columbia locations will have an opportunity to gain positions in this new entity."

'Navistar is a true innovator in the design of truck engines, and the company's newest venture will augment South Carolina's ever-growing automotive sector. It is especially gratifying to see Continental and Navistar come to an agreement that will keep existing facilities open and bring new opportunities for the future. Indeed, the company's decision to invest in South Carolina is another strong sign that our business-friendly climate, skilled workforce and exceptional market access continue to attract new investors to our state. We welcome Navistar and Pure Power Technologies to the South Carolina business community and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with them in the years ahead,' said Joe Taylor, Secretary of Commerce.

Central SC Alliance President and CEO Mike Briggs stated, "Our team is very pleased with today's important announcement by Navistar. This is quite a testimonial to the company's faith in the highly-skilled workforce that exists at the plant. The Alliance worked very closely with Richland County Council and the South Carolina Department of Commerce in an effort to retain these advanced manufacturing jobs."

Richland County Council Chairman Paul Livingston said, "Today, we are in a global competition to find and save jobs. We are excited to have retained the manufacturing and research and development functions that have been located in Richland County for the past several years. We certainly recognize the possibility for future growth and development and look forward to working with Navistar again. Further, we greatly appreciate Navistar's corporate citizenship and continued involvement in the community."

Pure Power Technologies supports a number of Navistar's strategic business goals: Ensure the continued delivery of innovative MaxxForce® brand engines to the North American on-highway marketplace, including MaxxForce Advanced EGR emissions technology for 2010 and beyond; grow in other automotive and industrial segments in NAFTA countries; partner with new OEM customers in established and emerging markets under Euro emissions regulations; create a global platform for continuous improvement in product quality, performance and fuel-efficiency; develop common quality and manufacturing processes across our engine operations and joint ventures; and support Navistar Global Truck Group and Navistar Global Bus division in non-NAFTA growth areas.

About Navistar
Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV) is a holding company whose subsidiaries and affiliates produce International® brand commercial and military trucks, MaxxForce® brand diesel engines, IC Bus™ brand school and commercial buses, Monaco RV brands of recreational vehicles, and Workhorse® brand chassis for motor homes and step vans. It also is a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van and SUV markets. The company also provides truck and diesel engine service parts. Another affiliate offers financing services. Additional information is available at www.Navistar.com/newsroom.

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Munich - The technology group The Linde Group continued the positive trend of the second quarter in a market environment which remained difficult, achieving further increases in profitability in the months July to September in comparison with the previous quarter. In the third quarter, Group operating profit rose by 12.5 percent compared to the second quarter, while the operating margin increased significantly to 22.5 percent (2nd quarter: 20.4 percent). The operating margin also continued to improve if a comparison is made between the first nine months of 2009 and the same period in 2008. The Group operating margin for the period to 30 September 2009 was 20.9 percent (2008: 20.3 percent). Adjusted for one-off restructuring costs of 80 million euro, the operating margin was 21.9 percent.

"The positive trends we were seeing at the end of the second quarter have continued to strengthen," said Professor Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, Chief Executive Officer of Linde AG. "The measures we have taken to achieve sustainable increases in productivity are having an ever greater impact. What's more, demand in our gases business is beginning to pick up again slowly. However, one thing's clear: in the 2009 financial year, we will not be able to match the level of sales and earnings achieved in the record year 2008. Nevertheless, based on our current figures, we expect our business performance in the second half of 2009 to be better than in the first half of the year."

Against the background of the global economic crisis, Group sales fell by 11.5 percent in the first nine months of 2009 to 8.313 billion euro, compared with the record figure achieved in the first three quarters of 2008 of 9.392 billion euro. Group operating profit* for the nine months to 30 September 2009 was 1.741 billion euro, 8.8 percent below the prior-year figure of 1.910 billion euro. After adjusting for restructuring costs arising from the High Performance Organisation (HPO) programme, the fall in Group operating profit for Linde was only 4.7 percent. On the basis of HPO, the integrated programme for process optimisation and increased productivity, the aim of the Group is to achieve gross cost savings of between 650 million euro and 800 million euro in the financial years from 2009 to 2012 and to continue to improve its competitiveness irrespective of the economic situation.

Earnings before taxes on income (EBT) were 611 million euro, a decrease of 185 million euro or 23.2 percent when compared with the prior-year figure of 796 million euro. After adjusting for restructuring costs of 80 million euro and the gains on disposal of businesses of 59 million euro achieved in the first nine months of 2008, the decline was only 46 million euro or 6.2 percent.

Group earnings after tax at 30 September 2009 were 456 million euro (2008: 593 million euro). After taking minority interests into account, earnings attributable to Linde AG shareholders were 417 million euro (2008: 552 million euro), giving earnings per share of 2.47 euro (2008: 3.29 euro). After adjusting for the effect of the purchase price allocation in the course of the BOC acquisition and the profits on disposal earnings per share in the first nine months of 2009 stood at 3.38 euro (2008: 4.14 euro). The restructuring costs recognised in the first nine months of 2009 have not been adjusted for in this calculation. Cash flow from operating activities increased by 9.5 percent to 1.424 billion euro (2008: 1.301 billion euro). This significant rise was due to the optimisation of the cost structure as well as to improvements in working capital management.

Gases Division
In the Gases Division, the recovery trend indicated in the second quarter of 2009 continued into the third quarter. Sales and operating profit again rose when compared to the period April to June. Operating profit for the third quarter was 625 million euro, exactly the same as the figure for the prior-year period. However, when the figures for the whole reporting period January to September are compared, there was a downward trend. Sales in the Gases Division for the nine months to 30 September 2009 were 6.629 billion euro, 7.4 percent lower than the figure for the prior-year period of 7.157 billion euro. On a comparable basis, i.e. after adjusting for exchange rate effects and also taking into account changes in the price of natural gas and changes to Group structure, the fall in sales was 6.4 percent.

The operating profit of the Gases Division for the first nine months of 2009 was 1.763 billion euro, only 3.1 percent under the comparable prior-year figure of 1.819 billion euro. This demonstrates that the Gases Division has been able to limit the decline in earnings in a difficult market environment and achieve an improvement in the operating margin from 25.4 percent in 2008 to the current figure of thereby 26.6 percent.

The trends in the individual regions and product areas of the Gases Division were as follows: In the Western Europe operating segment, sales trends in the third quarter continued to be adversely affected, as in the first half of 2009, by the substantial weakening of the British pound. As a result of this currency fluctuation, sales for the nine months to 30 September 2009 fell by 10.5 percent to 2.801 billion euro (2008: 3.131 billion euro). On a comparable basis, the decline in sales would have been a mere 5.4 percent. Operating profit was also adversely affected by exchange rate movements, falling by 8.4 percent to 782 million euro (2008: 854 million euro). The operating margin in Western Europe was 27.9 percent, exceeding the high figure of 27.3 percent achieved in the prior-year period. This improvement demonstrates the positive impact of the HPO programme.

The market environment in Western Europe saw a further period of stabilisation, although there were no signs as yet of a widespread market recovery.

In the Americas operating segment, Linde achieved sales in the nine months to 30 September 2009 of 1.485 billion euro, 10.1 percent below the figure for the first nine months of 2008 of 1.652 billion euro. On a comparable basis, sales were 8.3 percent lower than in the prior-year period. Operating profit fell from 320 million euro to 316 million euro, a much smaller drop of only 1.3 percent. The operating margin improved significantly as a result, by 190 basis points to 21.3 percent (2008: 19.4 percent). This increase was mainly due to the impact of natural gas prices. Steps taken to optimise the Group's cost structure did here as well contribute to this positive development.

In the Asia & Eastern Europe operating segment, sales in the nine months to 30 September 2009 were 1.343 billion euro, 8.0 percent below the figure for the prior-year period of 1.459 billion euro. On a comparable basis, the fall in sales was 6.4 percent. Operating profit, on the other hand, of 415 million euro was almost as high as the figure for the nine months to 30 September 2008 of 417 million euro. As a result, the operating margin rose significantly in the reporting period from 28.6 percent to 30.9 percent. The accelerated implementation of our HPO programme again contributed to this positive trend. Additional contributions to earnings also arose from Linde's joint venture activities in China.

Just as in the second quarter, very clear signs of an economic recovery continued to be evident as the year progressed in the Asia & Eastern Europe operating segment. This trend could be seen, for example, in the improved capacity utilisation of our tonnage plants.

In the South Pacific & Africa operating segment, Linde also achieved an increase in sales in the first nine months of the year: of 8.6 percent to 1.052 billion euro (2008: 969 million euro). The consolidation for the first time of the Australian LPG business Elgas more than offset adverse movements in the exchange rate of the Australian dollar. On a comparable basis, sales in the first nine months declined by 6.1 percent. Operating profit increased by 9.6 percent to 250 million euro (2008: 228 million euro), a faster rate of increase than that of sales. The operating margin rose accordingly from 23.5 percent to 23.8 percent.

In the individual product areas of the Gases Division, business trends were also affected by global economic conditions, which remained challenging. In comparison with the first half of the year, however, the trend here was positive in the third quarter. On a comparable basis, Linde's sales in the liquefied gases business fell by 8.7 percent to 1.636 billion euro (2008: 1.791 billion euro). In the cylinder gas business, there was a decline in sales of 9.1 percent to 2.713 billion euro (2008: 2.984 billion euro). Sales of 1.513 billion euro in the on-site (tonnage) business, where we supply industrial gases from plants situated on the user's site, were 4.2 percent below the figure for the prior-year period of 1.579 billion euro. Meanwhile, the Healthcare product area once again proved very robust. Here, sales rose by 5.6 percent to 767 million euro (2008: 726 million euro).

Gases Division - Outlook
The continuing uncertainty in the market environment has not caused us to change in any way our original target for the gases business. Linde wants to grow at a more rapid pace than the market and to continue to increase its productivity. Given the current tendency towards economic recovery and based on positive trends in the third quarter, The Linde Group expects business performance in the Gases Division to be better in the second half of 2009 than in the first six months of the year. This will, however, not suffice to ensure that sales and earnings for the full year 2009 will reach the levels achieved in 2008.

Engineering Division
In the Engineering Division, Linde achieved sales of 1.677 billion euro in the first nine months of 2009, although it was unable to achieve the very high level of sales achieved in the prior-year period of 2.063 billion euro. This decline is mainly due to the variation in project structure and the state of completion of projects in the two different periods. Operating profit of 145 million euro was also below the comparable figure for the nine months to 30 September 2008 of 183 million euro. The operating margin was 8.6 percent. This significantly exceeded Linde's target margin of 8 percent, which is well above the industry average. Due to a marked reluctance by customers to award new projects, order intake in the first nine months of 2009 of 1.514 billion euro was, as expected, lower than the figure for the prior-year period of 2.295 billion euro.

The order backlog at 30 September 2009 was 3.911 billion euro, which is still a very high level (31 December 2008: 4.436 billion euro). Most of the current order backlog relates to the air separation plant and olefin plant product areas. As in the first six months of the year, the geographical focus remains the Middle East. Major projects in this region include, for example, the new ethylene plant in Ruwais commissioned by the Borouge consortium, the Enhanced Gas Recovery plant which is operated together with Linde's joint venture partner ADNOC, and the Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) plant which Linde is supplying for Shell in Qatar.

Engineering Division - Outlook
The continuing high level of our order backlog forms a basis for relatively stable business performance in the Engineering Division over the next one to two years. However, the impact of the economic crisis on global large-scale plant construction can be seen from the much lower level of order intake and the current reluctance of customers to award new projects. Against this background and given the variation in project structure and the state of completion of projects from year to year, Linde continues to assume that it will not be able to achieve the same high level of sales in the 2009 financial year as in 2008. Nevertheless, the target for our operating margin remains at 8 percent.

N.B.: To coincide with the publication of our quarterly report, a teleconference for analysts will take place today at 2pm (German time) in English with Georg Denoke, CFO of Linde AG. Journalists will have the opportunity to listen to the conference live by dialling +49.69.589.99-0509. Please tell the operator your name and the name of your company. Following the teleconference, you will be able to hear a recording of the event by calling +49.30.726.167-224. Please give the following reference number: 847120.

The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 50,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. It achieved sales in the 2008 financial year of 12.7 billion euro. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the world. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

For more information, please see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com

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The new unit* will have an electrical output of over 900 MW and will supply 25% of the Rhein-Neckar region's electricity, the equivalent of approximately 600,000 households. It will replace the existing units 3 and 4 (with an output of only 220 MW each), which will be taken out of service after the commissioning of the new unit in 2013.

Grosskraftwerk Mannheim is a coal-fired cogeneration plant with an installed base of 1675 MW which produces up to 1000 MW of heat as well as electricity, and has been supplying both heat and power to the region for over 85 years. District heating applications such as these help save 200,000 TCE (ton of coal equivalent) primary energy and 300,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The new unit will help increase this figure.

The combined heat and power production significantly contributes to reduce emissions. The new unit will use less coal, reducing the power plant's overall CO2 emissions by about 1 million tonnes per year and conforming to the objectives of the German government, with a strong focus on reducing the country's greenhouse gas emissions.

'Innovative technology such as that installed at Mannheim 9 is essential for reducing CO2 emissions in our customers' coal-fired plants, commented Guy Chardon, Senior Vice President Thermal Products, Alstom Power, and we look forward to further supporting the implementation of cleaner power generation on the German market'.

*The scope of the Mannheim 9 project includes a STF 100 5 casing steam turbine, a Gigatop 2-pole turbogenerator and a condenser, and has been completed by a Tower Type Boiler island with SCR and preheater, including coal bunkers, mills, and auxiliary systems. Alstom will also carry out transportation to the site, full erection, commissioning, trial -run and performance tests both for the steam turbine generator set and the boiler island.

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Each rod outlet will have the capability to produce plain rod (5.5mm to 20mm) and rebar (6mm to 16mm) products, which include carbon steels, cold heading steel, spring steel, welding wire, bearing steel, tire cord and PC strand steel grades.

Included in the contracts for each rod outlet is a four stand prefinishing mill (PFM) arrangement, with two-stand 300 horizontal/vertical PFM and a two-stand 230 Vee PFM; a 10-stand, 230/160 Vee No Twist Mill (NTM), guides for the PFM and NTM, snap shears, side loopers, water boxes, troughs, pinch rolls, laying heads, Stelmor conveyor, two-arm mandrel reform stations and compactors.

Delivery is expected in mid-2010 for the first rod outlet and the third quarter 2010 for the second. The contract includes site supervision and services during the installation.

Further information about solutions for steel works, rolling mills and processing lines is available at http://www.siemens.com/metals

A photo supplements this press release. Please see: http://www.industry.siemens.com/data/presse/pics/IIS200911914.jpg

No Twist and Stelmor are registered trademarks of Morgan Construction Company.

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the world's leading supplier of production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. With integrated automation technologies as well as comprehensive industry-specific solutions, Siemens increases the productivity, efficiency and flexibility of its customers in the fields of industry and infrastructure. The Sector consists of six Divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility and Osram. With around 222,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry posted in fiscal year 2008 a profit of EUR3.86 billion with revenues totaling EUR38 billion. www.siemens.com/industry

With the business activities of Siemens VAI Metal Technologies, (Linz, Austria), Siemens Water Technologies (Warrendale, Pa., U.S.A.), and Industry Technologies, (Erlangen, Germany), the Siemens Industry Solutions Division(Erlangen, Germany) is one of the world's leading solution and service providers for industrial and infrastructure facilities. Using its own products, systems and process technologies, Industry Solutions develops and builds plants for end customers, commissions them and provides support during their entire life cycle. With around 31,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry Solutions achieved an order intake of EUR 8.415 billon in fiscal year 2008.

Further information and downloads at:
http://www.siemens.com/industry-solutions

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The proposed JV would establish a research and design center in China's Anhui province for application engineering development, product design and technology advancements. Diesel engines produced by the new venture would primarily be used in China, as well as certain export markets.

'This proposed joint venture would bring together the resources of two leaders, JAC in China's commercial vehicle segment and Navistar in the global diesel engine business,' said Eric Tech, president, Navistar Engine Group. 'The result would yield outstanding advanced technology products for commercial truck owners throughout the region.'

'This key initiative would not only give JAC access to world-class engine products, technology and management but would also support our long-term business growth strategy,' said Zuo Yanan, Chairman, JAC.

Formation of the joint venture is subject to the completion of due diligence, approval by each party's board of directors, negotiation of definitive agreements, corporate and regulatory approvals. Management structure would consist of eight directors, four from JAC and four from Navistar.

About JAC
Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. Ltd. (JAC) is principally engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of sport recreational vehicles, passenger cars, commercial vehicles and related parts. The company offers business vehicles under the brand name of Refine, light and heavy trucks, sports recreation vehicles (SRVs) under the brand name of Rein, carriage chassis and cars. http://jacen.jac.com.cn.

About Navistar
Navistar, Inc., the operating company of Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV), produces International® brand commercial vehicles, MaxxForce® brand diesel engines, IC Bus™ brand school and commercial buses, Monaco RV brands of recreational vehicles, and Workhorse® brand chassis for motor homes and step vans. It also is a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van and SUV markets. The company also provides truck and diesel engine service parts. Additional information is available at www.Navistar.com/newsroom.

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Deere said 452 manufacturing employees will be recalled beginning November 30th with all of those employees expected to be back to work before the company's annual holiday shutdown, which begins December 23rd.

The company said employees will begin production of new 2010 models. However, 78 employees will remain on layoff until market conditions improve enough to require the additional workforce.

Deere had placed the majority of the manufacturing workforce at Ottumwa on layoff earlier this year to align factory production with market demand. In total, the Ottumwa Works employs approximately 260 salaried employees and 720 wage employees, including those who remain on layoff.

The John Deere Ottumwa Works manufactures balers, mower conditioners, windrowers, and pull-type forage harvesters used by hay and livestock producers.

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Lincs will be situated eight kilometres off the coast of Skegness next to Centrica's existing wind farm developments at Lynn and Inner Dowsing and will comprise of 75 3.6MW Siemens turbines. Investment in this project is expected to total approximately £725 million and the wind farm should start generating power towards the end of 2012. When Lincs is completed, Centrica will have equity interests in operating renewable energy projects with an installed capacity of 650MW.

Under current UK Government proposals, Lincs will attract two Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) for every megawatt hour (MWh) produced, following the UK Government's decision in April to enhance the level of support provided for new offshore wind projects.

Centrica also announced that it has agreed the sale of a 50 per cent equity stake in its Lynn, Inner Dowsing and Glens of Foudland wind farms to the US-based investment management company TCW for a cash consideration of £84 million, and entered into agreements to raise approximately £340 million of non-recourse project finance facilities from a consortium of banks for these assets. The transactions value the wind farms at approximately £460 million in aggregate. Profit on disposal of this 50 per cent equity stake will be around £50 million. Reported operating profit in the year ended 31 December 2008 from these wind assets was £17 million, however, the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms were not fully commissioned until December 2008.

Centrica is also entering into a joint venture agreement with TCW to govern their ongoing relationship as co-owners of the Lynn, Inner Dowsing and Glens of Foudland wind farms. The agreement contains customary rights for each party to acquire the other party's shares in the joint venture company at fair market value following a material default by, or on the insolvency of, the other party.

Through its subsidiary British Gas Trading Ltd, Centrica will also enter into a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to off-take all the electricity production together with 50 per cent of the ROCs generated by the three refinanced wind farms.

Financial close on the non-recourse project finance facilities is expected to occur in November 2009 and the equity sale is expected to close before year end, conditional on receipt of European Community Merger Regulation (ECMR) approvals.

Sam Laidlaw, Chief Executive of Centrica, said: "Our decision to build Lincs illustrates our continued commitment to develop renewable generation and confirms our position as one of the UK leaders in green energy. The Government's enhanced financial framework for offshore wind has been fundamental in improving the overall project economics of this development.

'The refinancing and equity sale of part of our existing wind portfolio underlines the quality of the operational assets and creates a structure for recycling Centrica's capital and mobilising third party funds efficiently. This is a milestone in our renewables strategy and we look forward to working together with TCW who bring significant global expertise in energy investments.'

Notes to Editors

1. Lincs wind farm will be capable of generating electricity for around 200,000 British Gas customers. Centrica has also submitted planning consent applications for the Docking Shoal wind farm (540MW, submitted in December 2008) and the Race Bank wind farm (640MW, submitted in January 2009), both situated in the Greater Wash area.
2. Lincs has planning consent for 250MW with a proposed additional 20MW to be constructed in the footprint of the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farm development but connected to the Lincs transmission.
3. The wind farms included in the refinancing are currently wholly owned by Centrica: the Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms (each with 97 MW installed capacity with combined maximum grid export capacity of 180 MW) and the Glens of Foudland onshore wind farm (26 MW). These wind farms are owned by Centrica's subsidiary GLID Wind Farms Topco Ltd.
4. TCW is a subsidiary of Société Générale Asset Management, which has approximately $400 billion under management. TCW is making the investment in GLID Wind Farms Topco Ltd through two of the investment funds it manages: the US$2.6 billion TCW Energy Fund XIV and the €354 million TCW European Clean Energy Fund.
5. The following lenders form the consortium of banks providing debt finance to GLID Wind Farms Topco Ltd; Bank of Ireland, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Bayern LB, BBVA, BNP Paribas Fortis, Calyon, Dexia, HSBC Bank plc, KfW IPEX Bank, Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, National Australia Bank, NIBC Bank N.V., RaboBank, Santander
6. Lincs is expected to be a transitional project for OFTO purposes, which means that the offshore transmission assets for this project will be built by Centrica and their cost will be recovered post construction through an auction process. Centrica expects the costs related to these assets to amount to approximately £230 million, in addition to its own investment of approximately £725m in the wind farm itself. The Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms are not subject to the Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) regime.
7. Centrica was advised by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited in respect of the refinancing of the Lynn, Inner Dowsing and Glens of Foudland wind farms and the sale of an equity interest in GLID Wind Farms Topco Ltd. Slaughter & May provided legal advice to Centrica. Linklaters provided legal advice to the consortium of banks.

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Today, STX Europe's shipyard in Turku, Finland will officially hand over Oasis of the Seas to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL). The 360 metres long vessel is powered by Wärtsilä's most modern, high technology equipment. Oasis of the Seas is equipped with a total of six Wärtsilä 46 engines, three 12-cylinder and three 16-cylinder engines, generating more than 96 MW. The vessel is also equipped with four 5.5 MW Wärtsilä bow thrusters, which are among the largest in the world.

Wärtsilä's engines are equipped with common rail technology, which provides an important and very visible advantage. As the combustion and other process parameters can be adjusted for lower load ranges, smoke emissions can be reduced.
Wärtsilä continuously aims to improve the environmental performance of its products and solutions, with the main focus being on improving efficiency and minimizing emissions.

The Wärtsilä bow thrusters make the vessel easy to operate. They have a combined power output of 22 MW. In fact, the bow thrusters alone have more power than is installed on a normal cargo ship.

Pushing the boundaries of cruise ships

Royal Caribbean International, a brand of RCCL, is consistently pushing the boundaries of what is thought to be possible, offering more options and choices for its guests by introducing innovative amenities and a revolutionary design that achieves higher safety and environmental standards.

The cruise line's Freedom of the Seas was the largest passenger ship in the world when it was launched in 2006, and the largest ever built in terms of passenger capacity (3634) and gross tonnage (154,407), both records now shared by two other Royal Caribbean vessels of the same class.

And now comes Oasis of the Seas, with a passenger capacity of 5400 and a gross tonnage of 225,282. At 360 metres bow to stern, she is 23 metres longer than the Freedom class vessels and introduces even more innovative amenities than ever before. Oasis of the Seas has the first-ever living park at sea, with 12,175 plants, 62 vine plants, and 56 trees and bamboo. There's a full-sized carousel, rock climbing walls, and two surfing simulators that allow guests to surf on the deck and a spectacular amphitheatre-style AquaTheater at the stern of the ship.

Wärtsilä provides the power to meet the onboard energy demand

Propelling a vessel 360 metres long, 65 metres wide and carrying up to 8500 people - 2165 of them crew members - is no small achievement. The vessel's air-conditioning systems, production of 50 tons of ice cubes each day, and heating the water in the 21 swimming pools and Jacuzzis, together consume several megawatts of power. As does carrying all the supplies needed for a seven-day cruise.

The engines are essentially a power plant that produces electricity, which is then used to run everything on board. The majority is used for propelling the vessel, but this floating holiday destination also has many other energy users. 'After propulsion, air conditioning is next on the list of major onboard energy consumers,' says Fred Danska, Director, Cruise Business at Wärtsilä.

Long-term cooperation between Wärtsilä and Royal Caribbean

'This is a quantum leap in terms of development,' says Fred Danska, who has worked closely with Royal Caribbean for many years. 'We've been working with Royal Caribbean on this project for several years, but our relationship goes all the way back to the '70s.'

Most of the Royal Caribbean ships have featured Wärtsilä equipment, and Oasis of the Seas is no exception.

The size of the vessels isn't the only thing that has changed in the 40 years Wärtsilä has been working with Royal Caribbean. The engines have undergone continual development, as have customer preferences and choices. What was important in the 1980s is less important today.

In the mid-1990s, suppliers of gas turbines made moves to replace diesel engines on cruise ships. Wärtsilä came up with a solution that reduced emissions. This was common rail injection technology, now also fitted to Oasis of the Seas. 'Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has selected Wärtsilä's common-rail-type engines for its other brands in the past. This is however our first common rail delivery to Royal Caribbean International,' says Danska.

The highest standards of service and technology

'Studies indicate that cruises have higher customer satisfaction ratings than any other form of vacation, higher even than trips to Las Vegas or Disneyland, and that's their primary competition. Cruise companies are in the leisure business, not the shipping business,' says Danska.

'There's still a lot of potential for growth in the cruise business,' says Danska. 'Even if the vessels get bigger, they'll continue to fill them. We haven't reached any upper limit yet.'

Progress is continually being made below deck as well, and future cruise ships will be even more environmentally sound, thanks to Wärtsilä's work on SOx scrubbers and LNG (liquefied natural gas)-fuelled engines. Using LNG will eliminate all SOx emissions, reduce NOx emissions by 80 per cent, and CO2 emissions by more than 20 per cent.

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.

In 2008, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with 19,000 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.

www.wartsila.com

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