Infrastructure
Development

"For us to compete in this global marketplace, our equipment must be reliable, cost efficient to purchase, operate and maintain, and must comply with the required emissions standards ... Caterpillar meets and exceeds all of these requirements."

Carl Pfeil,
senior project engineer, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.

Improving Infrastructure, Improving Lives

Sustainable infrastructure development drives local economies, improves standards of living and does so in a way that balances environmental considerations. Caterpillar supports sustainable infrastructure projects around the world with products and services that facilitate efficiency.

One such project is the La Yesca hydroelectric dam in Mexico. The second-tallest concrete face, hydroelectric dam in the world and largest in Latin America sits on the border of Jalisco and Nayarit. Completed in 2012 by Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V. (ICA), the renewable-energy dam has the capacity to generate enough energy to meet roughly 50 percent of the electricity demand for the city of Guadalajara. In addition, the project has generated more than 10,000 jobs in the area, helping to improve residents' quality of life.

Cat^® dealer Tracsa supplied approximately 150 Cat^® machines, including medium tractors, large excavators, large wheel loaders and articulated trucks, in addition to crushers and other necessary equipment. Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation and Cat^® dealer Tracsa supported the project through leasing and customer service agreements for all Cat^® machines for the duration of the project, maintaining high levels of Cat^® fleet availability and contributing to the project's success.

On the other side of the globe, Geostroy has deployed Cat^® equipment in the development of the Zagorskaya power station in Russia. The power station, located 62 miles (100 km) from Moscow, is unique in Russia. As a hydro-accumulating power station, it pumps water from a lower reservoir to a higher holding pond when extra electricity is available. When more power is needed, the water streams back to the lower reservoir through a turbine to generate electricity. This type of power station also offers the ability to smooth the peak energy load during the day by supplying electricity to the grid. The Zagorskaya power station also absorbs surplus electricity from a thermal power station as well as nuclear power stations to avoid voltage overages.

Cat^® dealer Zeppelin Russland is providing equipment and services needed for this project, including Eco Operator Training^SM to ensure Geostroy employees operate equipment more efficiently and with less fuel consumption. In addition, Cat^® Product Link^™ monitors, manages and optimizes fuel consumption, workload and equipment health at the site.

In ports and on beaches around the world, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. (GLDD) relies on Cat^® equipment to operate the largest dredging company in North America. GLDD uses Cat^® engines and dozers for infrastructure projects, such as channel and harbor maintenance or deepening, to provide safe access for ships in and out of a port facility. Their work also includes beach renourishment to protect people, homes and property from the sea during high tides and hurricanes. They rehabilitate damaged wetlands and other aquatic habitats.

"For us to compete in this global marketplace, our equipment must be reliable, cost efficient to purchase, operate and maintain, and comply with the required emissions standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or International Maritime Organization," Carl Pfeil, senior project engineer of GLDD, explained. "Caterpillar meets and exceeds all of these requirements."