By David Owen
December 16 – FIFA has announced the appointment of Glasgow-based Aggreko as a branded licensee for the 2014 World Cup, in a move expected to save about $20 million in running costs for the 12 host-cities that will stage the tournament in Brazil next year.
Under the deal, Aggreko, an electrical power and temperature control specialist with wide experience of working on major events including the London 2012 Olympics and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, is to provide temporary broadcast power solutions for Brazil 2014 World Cup stadiums, as well as the international broadcast centre in Rio de Janeiro.
Niclas Ericson, FIFA’s TV Director, said he was “delighted” that Aggreko had joined the operational line-up. Reliable and consistent broadcast power provided by temporary infrastructure was, he said, “essential” to ensure that the images from the 12 stadiums are transmitted to 200-plus countries and territories worldwide.
The deal was “of huge importance”, since it not only ensured “the successful delivery of the TV images, but will also result in a significant reduction in operational investments for all 12 host-cities”.
This consequence of the deal may be appreciated by the Brazilian government, which has struggled to justify the outlay on prestige international sports competitions – the country is also due to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games – in the face of domestic protests.
Aggreko served as the exclusive supplier of temporary energy services to the London 2012 Olympics, where they were also a tier three sponsor.
The company was expected to support some 40 venues in the UK capital, using around 400 generators and 225 megawatts of power. With one megawatt enough to power roughly 1,000 households you could say that the electricity needs of a city the size of Düsseldorf or Jerusalem could in theory have been accommodated by the total temporary power requirement for London 2012.
One of the very biggest Scottish-based multinationals outside financial services, Aggreko was actually founded in the Netherlands in 1962. The company’s name is an abbreviated version of the more prosaic “Koopmans Generators”, combining letters from the Dutch word “aggregate”, meaning generator, and the last name of the founder, Mr Koopmans.
Other high-profile events the company has worked on include the Glastonbury music festival and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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