| GE Power Conversion | |
| Type: | Subsidiary |
| Predecessor: | Converteam (2011) |
| Location: | Paris-Saclay (Villebon-sur-Yvette), Île-de-France, France |
| Locations: | 14 countries |
| Area Served: | Global |
| Key People: | Philippe Piron (CEO)[1] |
| Industry: | Electrical engineering |
| Products: | VFDs, electric generators and induction motors |
| Num Employees: | 5,300 |
| Parent: | GE Vernova |
| Divisions: | 4 |
GE Power Conversion, formerly Converteam, is a French electrical engineering company and is a subsidiary of GE Vernova. GE Power Conversion's global headquarters is located in the Paris-Saclay research-intensive and business cluster, south of Paris, in the Île-de-France region.
In 1989, parts of the British General Electric Company merged with parts of Compagnie Générale d'Electricité (now Alcatel-Lucent) forming Cegelec (part of GEC-Alsthom), in the same year, a subsidiary of the German Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG) had merged with the American Westinghouse Drive Systems. In 1995, these two groupings merged to form CEGELEC Industrial Systems Group. In 1999, it changed its name to Alstom Power & Conversion, then on 10 November 2005, it became a separate company from Alstom.
On 29 March 2011, it was announced that a 90% stake in Converteam was to be bought by GE Energy for $3.2 billion.[2] This deal was completed on 2 September 2011.
It has five divisions:
The company also operates the Engineering Development Center in India, and has subsidiaries in BRIC countries: Converteam Brazil and Converteam China.
The division focuses on electrical motors (induction and synchronous) and generators, and its product range is comprehensive. Drives for low voltage as well as medium voltage applications are available for industry-specific applications, and products can be customized upon request. Meanwhile, its generators are often found in fossil fuel power stations. The company also provides the Vessel Automation Systems and Dynamic Positioning Systems for ships. The products are known for high operational efficiency and longevity. In addition to building and installing these products, this division also provides consultancy and maintenance services.
The company produced the induction motors for the Royal Navy's class Type 45 destroyers. (commissioned from July 2009) which are controlled by variable-frequency drives, and 20 MW generators.[3] This technology has also been installed on LNG carriers, the French s, and the Royal Navy's s.[4] The company is also developing an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System for the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers.