COMPONENT SUPPLIERS IN JOINT EXHIBIT

A group of French component suppliers to the wind industry is to exhibit at the Pollutex Exhibition on environment and energy in Paris this October. The group is made up of: Leroy-Somer of Vendeville, a maker of generators; carbon blade supplier, Atout Vent of Doui; Norelec of Verquin, an electrical equipment supplier; project developer and consultants Espace Eolien Developpement of Lille; and gear maker CMD of Cambrai. They will all be sponsored at the exhibition by the Nord Pas De Calais regional authority. Between them the companies can supply up to 85% of the content of a wind turbine, a theory they have carried out in practice on Belgian HMZ WindMaster turbines supplied for a project in northern France. The high French content of the turbines makes them eligible for export loans and other assistance. Utility Electricité de France could also be attracted by a "French" turbine. Its purchase criteria are traditionally locally oriented.