It’s not just the NBC Universal broadcasts of the 2008 Summer Olympics that are raking in the bucks for General Electric. That’s a billion bucks, sure, but GE says it also has non-media projects for the Olympic host city totaling $700 million. GE is managing infrastructure projects in all 37 official Beijing Games competition venues and 168 commercial buildings in and around Beijing.
Several of the projects feature technological “firsts” for China, including filtration technology for safe drinking water and rainwater recycling at the National Stadium (“Bird’s Nest”), 73 electrical substations to provide power at more than 50 Olympic Games venues, and advanced baggage screening at the Beijing Capital International Airport. Additionally, GE is supplying 120 wind turbines to the Zhangbei and Shangyi wind farms north of Beijing, which supply energy to the Olympic Central Area.
Throughout the city, GE is supporting municipal projects and facilities, including energy distribution systems at the Beijing Power Supply Bureau, Beijing Subway Line 4 and Beijing Capital International Airport.
“GE is uniquely positioned to deliver a variety of critical technology solutions for Olympic host cities. The company has been active in China for more than 100 years and we are proud to have worked so closely with the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee and other partners to help prepare the country for the world’s largest sporting event,” said GE Chairman & CEO Jeff Immelt.
