Altaaqa Global and Caterpillar Team Up to Power Cameroon and Empower Locals through Customer Development Program

The program through Caterpillar University helps solve Cameroon’s energy challenge while facilitating the transfer of engineering and advanced technical knowledge to local professionals at state-of-the-art 50 MW project

DUBAI – Altaaqa Global Caterpillar Rental Power, a leading global temporary power solutions provider, and Caterpillar Inc. have developed a solution to one of Cameroon’s biggest challenges: reliable energy access. This solution is not only about transferring power but also knowledge and prosperity across the African country.

In 2015, Altaaqa Global installed a 50 MW natural gas power plant in Cameroon’s most populous city, Douala, as an immediate solution to the city’s chronic electricity shortage. The power plant added reliable power to Cameroon’s grid, and provided its people and industries with a new, reliable source of electricity.

Just as important as the power was ensuring a local team of highly trained professionals was able to oversee the operation of the power plant. Altaaqa deployed Caterpillar University, Caterpillar’s proprietary training platform, to launch a Customer Development Program. The pilot program, which will continuously run for one year, is offered to a team of select local engineers and technical professionals from Altaaqa Global’s client Eneo, Cameroon’s integrated utility provider.

The Customer Development Program

One of the key pillars of Altaaqa Global's sustainable business model is extending employment and learning opportunities to local communities where it has projects, with the aim of enhancing their skills and transferring world-class industry knowledge to the local workforce.
To facilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills to Eneo’s team of local engineers and professionals, Altaaqa Global launched a tailored customer training program, in cooperation with Caterpillar University.

The program features three methods of instruction: classroom teaching, online instruction and on-the-job mentoring with Altaaqa Global’s Cat-certified in-house technicians. To encourage a better understanding of technical concepts taken up in the classroom, Altaaqa Global enrolled the Eneo engineers in Caterpillar University, which features expert-curated modules on service, safety and equipment operation.

For the purposes of the program, Altaaqa Global’s training engineers designed a learning plan that included carefully selected modules available on Caterpillar University. Considering their relevance to the participants’ tasks at site and to the engines installed for the project, the trainers hand-picked specialized courses on Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) and Engineering Service.

At the end of the year-long program, subject to the completion of all necessary on-line modules and a satisfactory performance in the final evaluation, the participants will be awarded a Level 1 Preventive Maintenance (PM) Technician certificate, and will thus be eligible to progress to second-level training. Altaaqa Global will conduct the program on a continuous basis, such that the training will be offered to every new team of engineers and technical professionals from Eneo.

Commenting on the motivation behind the training program, Peter den Boogert, CEO of Altaaqa Global, said: “In all of our projects, we provide more than electricity; we offer training and employment opportunities to locals. In fact, 95% of our site employees in our projects around the world is composed of locals.”

A commitment to sustainable progress

The training program is in accordance with Caterpillar’s sustainability strategy, which aims, among others, to promote economic and social development in areas where it operates. The company believes that an effective way to encourage sustainable social and economic progress is to educate local professionals on globally recognized industry best practices.

Against this backdrop, Kim Hauer, Caterpillar Vice President with responsibility for the Human Services Division and Chief Human Resources Officer said: “At Caterpillar, we believe in empowerment through education and transfer of knowledge. So, we work together with our global dealers, like Altaaqa Global, to provide tailored customer training solutions. Such initiatives have been proven to enhance customer efficiency, global competitiveness and help deliver sustainable progress around the world.”

Commending Altaaqa Global’s customer development initiatives, Doug Oberhelman, Chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc., said: “Altaaqa Global’s successful customer development program is a testament to the company’s commitment to support and improve the communities it serves. Altaaqa Global provides solutions that power and light the world.”

Mr. Fahad Y Zahid, Chairman of Altaaqa Global and Executive Vice President of the Zahid Group, avowed the company’s continued dedication to its mission of inspiring progress and prosperity to people, businesses and communities. “Since its inception, Altaaqa Global has looked beyond profit. We have always aimed to play an active role in spurring growth and progress not only by providing a reliable supply of electricity, but also by transferring knowledge to locals. We hope that the Customer Development Program yields a globally competitive workforce that will drive the continuous growth of Cameroon.”

Altaaqa Global and Caterpillar have produced a documentary video on the program, showcasing the effectiveness and benefits of Caterpillar’s tailored customer training solutions to dealers and customers all over the world. The video was premiered at the 2016 Africa Energy Forum in London, UK in late June, and was seen by energy ministers and other energy stakeholders from around the world.

Watch the video, here: https://youtu.be/8M5qA1Pz7Ys

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About Altaaqa Global
Altaaqa Global, a subsidiary of Zahid Group, has been selected by Caterpillar Inc. to deliver multi-megawatt turnkey temporary power solutions worldwide. The company owns, mobilizes, installs, and operates efficient temporary independent power plants (IPP’s) at customer sites, focusing on the emerging markets of Sub-Sahara Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, South East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Offering power rental equipment that will operate with different types of fuel such as diesel, natural gas, or dual-fuel, Altaaqa Global is positioned to rapidly deploy and provide temporary power plant solutions, delivering electricity whenever and wherever it may be needed.

http://www.altaaqaglobal.com

About Zahid Group
Zahid Group represents a diverse range of companies, offering comprehensive, customer-centric solutions in a number of thriving industries. Some of those include construction; mining; oil & gas; agriculture; power, electricity & water generation; material handling; building materials; transportation & logistics; real estate development; travel & tourism; waste management & recycling; and hospitality.

http://www.zahid.com

About Caterpillar Inc.
For 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent.  Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets.  With 2015 sales and revenues of $47.011 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.  The company principally operates through its three product segments - Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation - and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment.

http://www.caterpillar.com

About Eneo Cameroon S.A.
Cameroon’s long-term electricity operator, Eneo (formerly AES-SONEL) is a semi-public company with 56% shares owned by Actis Group and 44% by the State of Cameroon. Eneo has an installed generation capacity of 968 MW. Its transport network connects 24 substations and includes 1,944.29 km of high voltage lines, 15,081.48 km of medium voltage lines and 15,209.25 km of low voltage lines. Its distribution network consists of 11,450 km of lines of 5.5 to 33 KV and 11,158 km of lines of 220-380 kV. Eneo has more than 973,250 customers, of which approximately 45% live in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé. Eneo employs 3,698 permanent staff.

http://www.eneocameroon.cm


PRESS INQUIRIES
Altaaqa Global
Tel: +971 56 1749505
rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

Julian Ford Joins Altaaqa Global as Chief Commercial Officer

With over 15 years of experience in the rental power industry, Ford takes the helm of the company’s strategic business development and top-line revenue generation functions

Altaaqa Global, a leading global provider of large-scale temporary power services, has appointed energy industry veteran, Julian Ford as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective July 1, 2015. As the company’s CCO, Ford’s remit is to ensure that Altaaqa Global achieves revenue growth targets and overall commercial success, and to facilitate the formulation and implementation of innovative global commercial strategies.

Julian Ford, Chief Commercial Officer of Altaaqa Global

Ford’s career in the industry started at the time when the concept of power plants on a rental basis was just gaining ground. He had a hand in introducing the concept of power project rental to governments of developing economies, which allowed them to hire power capacity to address short term energy issues during times of hydropower shortage or other generation or transmission issues.
Ford was instrumental in taking the rental power concept to different regions across the globe, including Middle East and Africa, South America, East Asia and South Asia. “My vision then,” he said, “was for the rental power market to develop beyond its traditional local markets and become a truly global business. We started in the Middle East and East Africa and quickly expanded our operations in other regions of the world.”

A true visionary, Ford led the way for the development of the gas-fueled temporary power equipment market in the mid-2000s. “At that time,” explained Ford, “diesel costs were rapidly rising, and it was imperative to diversify the product offering and capitalize on the growth of natural gas reserves.” With keen interest in markets where gas reserves were not vast enough to be commercially developed, Ford pioneered a new business model that allowed countries to monetize their ‘stranded gas’ reserves to generate useful low-cost electricity for the national grid.

Ford welcomes the challenge of his new role, as he recognizes the continuous evolution of the rental power industry. “The role of temporary power has evolved from being a local, short-term, transactional activity to a major global project-based industry,” said Ford, and added that it is no longer uncommon to see power plants of 100 MW and up being rented on a longer-term basis. “Our objective is to create a highly skilled, motivated and experienced, world-class, power projects team. My vision is for Altaaqa Global to lead the evolution of the industry, and to be recognized as the premier source of innovative technical solutions and the highest level of customer service and support.”

About Altaaqa Global
Altaaqa Global, a subsidiary of Zahid Group, has been selected by Caterpillar Inc. to deliver multi-megawatt turnkey temporary power solutions worldwide. The company owns, mobilizes, installs, and operates efficient temporary independent power plants (IPP’s) at customer sites, focusing on the emerging markets of Sub-Sahara Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, South East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Offering power rental equipment that will operate with different types of fuel such as diesel, natural gas, or dual-fuel, Altaaqa Global is positioned to rapidly deploy and provide temporary power plant solutions, delivering electricity whenever and wherever it may be needed.
http://www.altaaqaglobal.com

About Zahid Group
Zahid Group represents a diverse range of companies, offering comprehensive, customer-centric solutions in a number of thriving industries. Some of those include construction; mining; oil & gas; agriculture; power, electricity & water generation; material handling; building materials; transportation & logistics; real estate development; travel & tourism; waste management & recycling; and hospitality.
http://www.zahid.com

PRESS INQUIRIES
Altaaqa Global
Tel: +971 56 1749505
rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

Wordsmith: Where did “electricity” come from?

Did you know that there used to be a time when the term “electric” meant “attractive”? 

The term “electric” is said to have come from the Classical Latin word “electrum”, which meant “amber”. Why amber? Because amber, as observed by William Gilbert, has attractive properties. Hence, the New Latin declined term “electricus” – meaning “of amber” – was coined and was therefore used in his 1600 text, titled De Magnete.

The word “Electric” was first used in the English language by Sir Francis Bacon to describe materials like amber – meaning, those that have the capability to attract other objects. The first use of the word “electricity” is attributed to Sir Thomas Brown in his 1646 work, titled Pseudodoxia Epidemica.

Again, The concretion of Ice will not endure a dry attrition without liquation; for if it be rubbed long with a cloth, it melteth. But Crystal will calefie unto electricity; that is, a power to attract strawes and light bodies, and convert the needle freely placed

—Pseudodoxia Epidemica, 1st edition, p. 51

In the context of the quote above, an “electric” (spelled “electrick” in those times) was a non-conductor. Confusing, eh? An “electric” during those times was actually an object that were capable of attracting light bodies (much like bits of paper) when excited by friction. Following this logic, a piece of amber was therefore an “electric”, while a rod of iron was not. “Electricity”, during that era, was a term used to describe the property of behaving like “electrics”.

There came, then, the time when the definition of “electricity” shifted to refer to the cause of the attraction rather than to the property of being attractive.

The meaning of the word further evolved. Today, a large majority of publications no longer refer to “electricity” as “electric charge”; instead they speak of “electricity” as “electromagnetic energy”. The definition has changed even more drastically: Many authors now use the word “electricity” to mean “electric current” (amperes), “energy flow” (watts), “electric potential” (volts), or “electric force”.

These myriad definition could probably be the reason why the term “Quantity of Electricity” – frequently used in the works of Franklin, Faraday, Maxwell, Millikan, J. J. Thomson and, even, Einstein – is already seeing less usage from present-day scientists. Physics textbooks no longer utilize the terms “Quantity of Electricity” or “Flow of Electricity”. “Quantity of Electricity” is gradually being replaced by “charge of electricity” or simply “charge”. Owing to the great discrepancy of the meaning of the term “electricity” in different situations, today’s energy industry experts prefer to use the term “charge” to refer to the quantity of electricity to avoid any possible confusion.  

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PRESS INQUIRIES

Robert Bagatsing

Altaaqa Global

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

Do You Really Have to Buy?

Buy or Rent?

Here is a rundown of factors to consider before investing in a permanent, semi-permanent or long-term rental power plant.

There is a popular saying that goes: The best things in life are free. While this article is not going to contend with that, it will dare say that some things that one really needs come with a price. A hefty price, at times.

While owning a car, a home or professional engineering tools gives one a sense of pride and accomplishment, there may be cases when buying (could mean investing, in this article) is not always the most rational choice to make.

By the same token

The scenarios to consider when buying an industrial building, truck or large construction tools are no different from the factors affecting the choice of building or renting a power plant. A government or a utility company have to weigh the same aspects (duration, availability of resources, urgency and location) in deciding whether investing in a permanent power plant is cost beneficial vis-à-vis renting temporary power generation facilities.

Duration: Stakeholders need to ascertain the duration of the need. Case-in point: There are requirements that only last for weeks or months, at most. Say, the increased energy demand in summer or the need to power stadia during football matches: These are exceptional events that would only require supplementary power for a short amount of time. Imagine, how many millions of Dollars would a government or a utility company spend in building a permanent infrastructure that would only be sparingly used? In cases such as these, renting may be a sounder choice.

Availability of resources: Constructing power plants entail a large sum, which may oftentimes need to be loaned or agreed upon with institutional investors. If a government with limited funds needs to shell out a considerable amount of money, there is a possibility that the allocation for other services, such as education, agriculture or healthcare, will need to be restructured. Will it be wise to take a portion of the budget for elsewhere and put it in the construction of an electric power plant if the latter will not be extensively used?

Urgency: Completing a permanent power station needs years – some, even decades. Imagine: Factories need to ramp up production for peak seasons, like Christmas, Eid or Diwali. Will they need to wait for permanent energy facilities to be completed before they can take advantage of the increased market demand? What if their products are no longer in-demand after several years? In these cases, rental power plants could represent an immediate, cost-effective solution to seize business opportunities as they present themselves.

Location: When a permanent power plant has been built, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to uproot the facility and transfer it elsewhere should the location prove to be challenging under certain circumstances. Utility companies has to make sure that its expert engineers are able to access the location 24/7 and that spare parts are always available in times of emergency. They also have to guarantee that the chosen place can endure harsh conditions, as power plant closures can bring about disastrous consequences to cities, regions and even to a whole country.

 Horses for courses

The choice of either renting or to outright buying depends on the tendencies of the user. Foresight and rationality are always key in making informed and balanced decisions. There is opportunity cost in everything: One is always bound to absorb losses that accompany an option not selected. The challenge, then, is to calculate risks and maximize the benefits of one’s preference. 

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PRESS INQUIRIES

Robert Bagatsing

Marketing Manager

Altaaqa Global CAT Rental Power

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

Altaaqa Global Opens Office in Southern Africa

The new Johannesburg office will serve as a hub for Altaaqa Global’s sales and operations in the Southern African region.

Dubai-based Altaaqa Global CAT Rental Power, a global provider of temporary power solutions, has recently opened a new branch in Johannesburg that will cater to several countries in Southern Africa, including the Republic of South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The new Johannesburg office will serve as a hub for Altaaqa Global’s sales and operations in the Southern African region

Altaaqa Global will bring its expertise, innovative technologies, industry-proven reliability and rapid deployment to the region, which is largely known for its thriving oil and gas, industrial manufacturing, and mineral and coal mining industries. Peter den Boogert, General Manager of Altaaqa Global, said that we would provide Southern Africa with the most advanced power plant packaged systems, remote monitoring, and fuel-efficient gas, diesel or dual-fuel-powered generators. “Altaaqa Global and its sister company in Saudi Arabia have a total combined fleet of 1,400 MW rental power plant generation readily available to serve the Southern African region.”

One of the flagship innovations that Altaaqa Global will offer, he added, was the flexible operational mode that can switch from island to grid mode in just seconds. Furthermore, Altaaqa Global’s energy rental dynamic package allows its power plants to hook directly to the grid without the need for a substation.

The global outlook for the rental power industry has been encouraging, and Steven Meyrick, Board Representative of Altaaqa Global, sees merit in capitalizing on it through strategic market and geographic expansion. “With this recent feat, we believe that we are on our way to fulfilling, even exceeding, the highly ambitious objectives we set at the launch of our company in 2012.” Meyrick added that Altaaqa Global would continue to pursue multi-megawatt independent power projects (IPP) in various industries, in addition to heavily investing in human resources, process and business optimization, and product expansion.

In line with its avowed corporate social responsibility programs that aim to alleviate the social needs of its immediate environs, Altaaqa Global will also continue to provide job opportunities, extend immediate assistance for school children, and conduct educational campaigns on energy conservation and environmental stewardship in Southern Africa. Meyrick continued, “One of the pillars of our sustainable business model is employing and training local professionals in areas where we operate, and we are excited to extend that commitment to Southern Africa.”

Majid Zahid, Strategic Accounts Director of Altaaqa Global, said, “Southern Africa has a promising economic outlook within the energy, engineering, production, oil and gas, and mining sectors, and we are delighted to open our new office in Africa to provide our wide range of highly innovative interim power plants. We are determined to serve various industries, such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, mining, electric power utilities, industrial manufacturing and maritime.”

Altaaqa Global has been aggressively making inroads into the African market with the opening of branch offices in several key locations in the continent. “We have also recently opened an office in East Africa,” said Den Boogert, “and have appointed a highly competent management team to oversee our African operations.” He shared the information that Hendrick Mtemeri, a power distribution veteran with more than 20 years of experience in the power utility industry, has been appointed as the Regional Director for the entire Sub-Saharan region, and Paul Heyns, a power equipment engineering expert based in Pretoria, and Oduor Omolo, power generation professional based in Nairobi, have been appointed as Sales Managers for Southern Africa and East Africa, respectively. “Under their leadership, we will reinforce our presence in Africa and ensure that we stay close with our customers.”

The economy of Southern Africa is largely driven by the precious stone, mineral and coal mining industry. The Republic of South Africa, a leading economy in the Southern African region, is ranked as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank, and is touted to be the largest African economy ahead of Nigeria. Though still reeling from the effects of its recent economic setbacks, the African Economic Outlook expects South Africa's economy to moderately accelerate in 2014. Angola's economy, after experiencing slow growth due to the recent oil and financial crises, is also predicted to be on the rebound, expected to grow by 7.8% in 2014. Furthermore, Mozambique's economy is forecast to maintain its upward trend, predicted to grow by 8% in 2014. Agriculture, manufacturing, oil and gas, in addition to mineral and coal mining, significantly contribute to the countries’ GDP, as well as to their employment rates.

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About Altaaqa Global

Altaaqa Global, a subsidiary of Zahid Group, has been selected by Caterpillar Inc. to deliver multi-megawatt turnkey temporary power solutions worldwide. The company owns, mobilizes, installs, and operates efficient temporary independent power plants (IPP’s) at customer sites, focusing on the emerging markets of Sub-Sahara Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, South East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Offering power rental equipment that will operate with different types of fuel such as diesel, natural gas, or dual-fuel, Altaaqa Global is positioned to rapidly deploy and provide temporary power plant solutions, delivering electricity whenever and wherever it may be needed.

http://www.altaaqaglobal.com/press-media/press-releases

About Zahid Group

Zahid Group represents a diverse range of companies, offering comprehensive, customer-centric solutions in a number of thriving industries. Some of those include construction; mining; oil & gas; agriculture; power, electricity & water generation; material handling; building materials; transportation & logistics; real estate development; travel & tourism; and hospitality.

http://www.zahid.com/

PRESS INQUIRIES

Robert Bagatsing

Altaaqa Global

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

READER REQUESTS

Altaaqa Global

Marketing Department

P.O. Box 262989

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Altaaqa Global Receives ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 Certification

TÜV NORD has recently certified Altaaqa Global as a company that implements a management system in accordance with ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004, and OHSAS 18001:2007.

Dubai, UAE – After several months of rigorous auditing and aligning processes, Altaaqa Global CAT Rental Power has achieved ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System), ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental Management System), and OHSAS 18001:2007 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems) certification by TÜV NORD Germany, the ISO accredited certification body headquartered in Hanover, Germany.

According to Shibu Davies, GM of Certification, HSD & Lab TÜV NORD, “Only a few companies in the world have ever completed a triple audit and received all certifications in its first year of evaluation. It is evident that Altaaqa Global will surely be an asset to the global energy industry.”

Commenting on the certifications, Peter den Boogert, GM of Altaaqa Global, said, “We have achieved this milestone through the shared values of the Altaaqa Global team. The cohesive objective to attain greatness is far beyond our vision and mission; it is inculcated in the very fabric of our culture, our beliefs and our principles. High quality standards and processes are always at the forefront of our company.”

Meghana Millin, Quality, Health, Safety & Environmental Officer of Altaaqa Global, said, “We are truly proud of the three certifications from TÜV NORD. This will help us continue to manage our quality, while enabling us to streamline our processes and ensure they are in line with international standards, a high priority for everyone at Altaaqa Global. This recent achievement is an important recognition of our hard work.”

“We are committed to delivering not only the best products and technology but the best processes across the board,” said Steven Meyrick, Board Representative of Altaaqa Global. “We have validated our speed of power plant installation as the ‘fastest rental power company’ to deliver interim power plants. We have also validated our innovative technology as one of the best in the energy industry cited by the Middle East Electricity Awards, MEP Awards and Platts Global Energy Awards. Now, as another testament to our commitment to excellence, TÜV NORD has certified our quality management system.”

Majid Zahid, Strategic Accounts Director of Altaaqa Global, said, “On top of our latest and most advanced power generation technologies, our clients in the mining, oil & gas, petrochemicals, power generation, electric utilities and industrial manufacturing sectors can rest assured that our system processes and management procedures are in line with the global quality standards in delivering temporary power plant solutions.”

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About Altaaqa Global

Altaaqa Global, a subsidiary of Zahid Group, has been selected by Caterpillar Inc. to deliver multi-megawatt turnkey temporary power solutions worldwide. The company owns, mobilizes, installs, and operates efficient temporary independent power plants (IPP’s) at customer sites, focusing on the emerging markets of Sub-Sahara Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, South East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Offering power rental equipment that will operate with different types of fuel such as diesel, natural gas, or dual-fuel, Altaaqa Global is positioned to rapidly deploy and provide temporary power plant solutions, delivering electricity whenever and wherever it may be needed.

http://www.altaaqaglobal.com/press-media/press-releases

About Zahid Group

Zahid Group represents a diverse range of companies, offering comprehensive, customer-centric solutions in a number of thriving industries. Some of those include construction; mining; oil & gas; agriculture; power, electricity & water generation; material handling; building materials; transportation & logistics; real estate development; travel & tourism; waste management & recycling; and hospitality.

About TÜV NORD

TÜV NORD International GmbH & Co. KG has established business relationships in more than 70 countries of Europe, America, Asia and Africa and is now represented in all major world markets. The TÜV NORD Group has combined its acknowledged competence, versatile innovative talent and also many companies who are leaders in their market segments under the umbrella of TÜV NORD International. Now, know-how developed over many years and a dedicated, 8,400-strong workforce worldwide ensure that “TÜV NORD” is accepted as a global name for safety, quality, competence and trust.

PRESS INQUIRIES

Robert Bagatsing

Altaaqa Global

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

READER REQUESTS

Altaaqa Global

Marketing Department

P.O. Box 262989

Dubai, United Arab Emirates