The French concern Alstom is ready to increase the level of localization in the contract for the supply of electric locomotives to Ukraine, said Minister of Economy, Finance and Reconstruction of France Bruno Le Maire in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“Alstom is ready to localize up to 35% of production and service in Ukraine. At the beginning of the discussion, Alstom planned to localize about 20% of production in Ukraine. We realized that this was not enough, ”he said.
Bruno Le Maire said that France received a request to increase localization from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who wants French companies involved in contracts with Ukraine to locate a significant part of their production in Ukraine.
"This is a legitimate demand and we have acted accordingly," added Le Maire.
The Minister noted that France has a long history with Ukraine, and he is determined to open a new chapter of this long journey from an economic point of view.
“We also want to strengthen our ties in very specific sectors: utilities with distribution of drinking water, energy, infrastructure and transport such as trains, healthcare and, of course, agriculture. In all these areas, I think there are opportunities for deepening and expanding relations, "Le Maire said.
Currently Alstom is the world leader in offering tried and tested hydrogen trains ready for serial production. As a reminder, Germany launched the world's first French-made hydrogen trains in September 2018 in Lower Saxony.
Alstom has already sold about 50 hydrogen trains in Germany and Austria. Other countries such as the UK, the Netherlands, France and Italy are also interested in the new technology, according to the company.
