Powering Major Events

Volume 3 - Issue 1

Powering up the 2010 FIFA World CupTM

Powering the world’s longest ice rink

Interview with Niclas Ericson, Director - FIFA TV

Major events move to the Middle East

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Contents

An ‘Ice’ Challenge: Providing power and temperature control to the Vancouver Olympics 4-5

Bridging the Gulf:Rental power supports the growth of major events in the Middle East 6-7

The World is watching:Reliable power for broadcasting the 2010 FIFA World Cup 8-9

World Cup Venues:Information and memorable moments from each of the ten stadiums 10-11

Niclas Erikson:We speak to the Director of FIFA TV about his views on the World Cup 12-13

Fireworks, lasers and lights:Reliable power for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai 14-15

The Big Chill:Chilling the World’s longest ice rink 16-17

Power in the skiesSupporting the Red Bull Air Race 2010 18-19

EditorJana Single

ContributorsAmy Stine, John Goss, Mazen Kayssar, Susan Parker, Willem Schinkelshoek

FeedbackWe value your opinions and welcome your comments or questions. Please send them to the editorial team at: [email protected]

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Every four years, the Olympic Winter Games aim to make their mark on history. In 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia took its turn on the world stage.

The organising committee began overall preparations soon after the city’s 2003 selection as host of the Games. Among their plans was to make the 2010 Winter Games the most environmentally friendly and sustainable event in the history of the Games.

A Sprawling InfrastructureCompetition venues were set up in two distinctive locations: the city venues, located throughout Vancouver and neighboring Richmond; and the mountain venues, located approximately 130 km north of the city, in the Whistler Mountains. To accomplish their goal of turning both locations into venues that could comfortably and safely host the 5,500 athletes and more than 2.3 million spectators anticipated to attend, it was necessary for

the National Olympic Committee to have a reliable utility infrastructure in place.

With an event of this scale, organisers needed an experienced partner with not only the highest quality temporary equipment, but also the technical ingenuity to design the most complex utility systems. This partner also needed the logistical capability to source equipment and coordinate with a multitude of vendors.

Aggreko was named the Official Supplier of Temporary Power and Temperature Control Solutions for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and was charged with designing and installing the temporary power distribution, and heating and cooling infrastructure for the city and mountain venues. The distinct differences in the facility structure and terrain of the venues made the project an exciting challenge.

Discussions with the organising committee began as early as the summer of 2007, with the design phase officially kicking off in September 2008. Aggreko worked within, and proudly supported, the Olympic Committee’s

requirements for an environmentally sustainable Games. Coordinating closely with the local utility company, the primary provider of clean hydroelectric energy in British Colombia, the Aggreko design team spent more than a year on dozens of site visits, attending hundreds of meetings with organisers and other vendors, and developing site drawings to help produce the best event possible.

The project would require more than 500 miles of cable, enough to stretch from Vancouver to Portland, Oregon and back, to distribute clean energy from local resources. Despite having experience in 10 previous Olympic Games, this would also become the largest heating project in Aggreko history.

“Being the Official Supplier of Temporary Power and Temperature Control Solutions for the Vancouver Games was an incredible opportunity for us,” said Gordy Broussard, Vice President, National Sales & Special Projects, Aggreko North America. “We were thrilled to be able to provide equipment and services for what is considered to be the epitome of sporting events, with billions around the world watching.”

An ‘Ice’Challenge Providing power and temperature control to the Vancouver Olympics

A Production of Olympic ProportionsWith infrastructure plans in place, the technical crews began executing the extensive production phase of the project five months before the Opening Ceremony. Aggreko was involved with every venue related to broadcast, security, training and competition, which included responsibility for the main supply of power for the Opening Ceremony at BC Place, as well as standby power to the International Broadcast Center. This required installing more than 90 MW of primary and standby generators, enough to supply power to more than 8,000 homes. Aggreko also distributed power generated from renewable sources around 30 Olympic venues using cable and more than 1,800 electrical panels. In addition to the Olympic venues, Aggreko was the temporary utility provider for approximately 25 hospitality and corporate events in and around Vancouver.

Weather was a major factor in the design and installation phase of the mountain venues. If 2010 snowfall followed typical annual weather patterns, the technical team needed to anticipate anything from 3 to 6 feet of snow in around the temporary power and heating installations. To complete the Olympic power system, the first phase in the mountain venues required the installation of more than 130 power connections to utility transformers. Generators also needed to be carefully positioned before the snow arrived, with units placed at elevations as high as 6,000 feet above sea level. During the second installation phase, Aggreko installed the heating systems. Nearly all of the mountain venues were temporary and required large amounts of heat primarily to melt snow, which prevented it from collecting on the roofs of the temporary structures and creating a safety hazard.

In Vancouver and Richmond, the Organising Committee was faced with a

different set of infrastructure challenges. To comply with the Committee’s goal of an environmentally sustainable Games, Aggreko supplied standby generators at all of the venues in the City to ensure seamless power generation. Venues like the Richmond Oval, home of the longtrack speed skating events, were built from the ground up. This massive facility alone required 2,000 pieces of 50 foot cable extended from the broadcast compound to the commentary room, along with 10 standby power generators to accommodate the substantial increase in power required for the duration of the Games.

At the UBC Thunderbird Arena, which hosted the opening round of the ice hockey competition, Aggreko worked with organisers to convert a practice rink into a temporary locker room and office space. At the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Aggreko was the primary provider of power and designed a system that could parallel with the local utility company to switch the power feed from ‘temporary’ to ‘local’ between the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

“Let the Games Begin!”

Once the cable and utility equipment was installed and

tested, the Aggreko technician teams were on-site 24 hours a day for the duration of the games to ensure uninterrupted power and climate control. This included a crew of more than 100 people dedicated to monitoring the mountain and city Olympic venues, as well as a number of hospitality structures occupied by various countries and corporate sponsors.

“The Olympics is one of the most challenging and rewarding projects we have had the privilege to be a part of,” said Paul Hines, Olympic Manager, Aggreko North America. “The emotion and pride of the Olympics reaches people around the world and we are proud to have helped produce a successful Games, as well as the most environmentally friendly one in the history of the Olympics.”

While experience is key to working on an event as complex and intricate as the Olympics, expertise in fast and efficient problem solving, and synchronisation with a host of organisations are equally important. The enthusiasm brought to one location from different cultures across the globe is an experience to be shared by all. However, working behind-the-scenes at something with this much momentum can be considered overwhelming. When the world is watching, a reliable provider is essential

to producing a performance worthy of Olympic gold.


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Bridging the Gulf


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Ten years ago, the idea of hosting a World Cup in the Middle East would have been dismissed out of hand by many sporting enthusiasts. However,

development of sporting infrastructure around the Gulf, the construction of specialised sports cities, and the successful hosting of many major events have led many to rethink their perceptions of the Middle East as a sporting destination. With Qatar having submitted bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, as well as the 2020 Olympic Games, one of the key logistical challenges of proving that the Middle East can host major sporting events is ensuring the availability of a consistent and sufficient power supply.

Major events require an immense amount of power; even when power supplies in the host country are sufficient, organisers need to provide back-up power supply for all aspects of an event. The power supply for major events in the Middle East is of particular concern because many proposed events, such as Qatar’s Olympic bid, would be scheduled to take place in the summer when local power providers are already under immense strain because of the constant use of air conditioning.

In order to guarantee the power supply for major events, organisers have had a ready-made solution to turn to: temporary power.

The use of a temporary power solution means that organisers can have a tailored supply that meets the exact needs of the event. A turn-key rental power provider will not only supply the equipment that is needed, but will work with the organisers to design a bespoke power solution. This includes the distribution of power from the generators to the various areas which require power, a challenging task which requires the engineering of hundreds of kilometres of cable runs throughout the event.

Some of the World’s most high profile events, including the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the 2009 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and, most recently, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, have been supported by the supply of temporary power packages by the World’s largest rental power provider, Aggreko.

Aggreko, with 11 depots operating across the Middle East, also has a great deal of experience in the Middle East, having provided temporary power packages to some of the most prestigious events in the region. In October 2008, the company supplied 9 MW of power for the high-profile opening ceremony of the exclusive Atlantis Hotel and Resort on the Dubai Palm Jumeirah. The power supply was used for lighting, sound and broadcast of the opening ceremony, which included a performance from international pop-icon Kylie Minogue. With a guest list including David and Victoria Beckham, Oprah Winfrey, Robert De Niro and Janet Jackson, the organisers could not risk any interruptions of power to spoil the party atmosphere.

Phil Burns, Managing Director of Aggreko Middle East, said: “The region’s events industry is booming and the experience Aggreko has built up across a variety of events - from festivals to movie sets to the Olympic Games – puts us in a very strong position. The reliable provision of power is crucial: from

the digital scoreboards to the floodlights, the air-conditioned VIP areas to the broadcast and media centres. We believe that industry knowledge, bespoke equipment and a desire to understand customers needs are key to providing successful power rental solutions for any event.”

Power for broadcastIn addition to the provision of power for lighting and sound, it is necessary to supply international broadcasting services with a consistent and reliable power source, because a break in power will mean a break in the action for the viewing audience. In order to ensure a reliable power supply for broadcast, Aggreko has been working with the organisers of the Bahrain Grand Prix since its inception in 2004. To ensure the regional and international audience has access to all the high-speed action, Aggreko provides power packages for domestic and broadcast power, which supplies the vending areas, the medial centre and the International Broadcast Centre (IBC).

In recent years there has been a substantial increase in the hosting of international championships across the region. Abu Dhabi’s dedicated sports community, Zayed City, was host to the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in December 2009. The event spanned 10 days and saw clubs including FC Barcelona, Estudiantes de la Plata and Auckland City FC battle it out at the 50,000 capacity stadium. Aggreko was contracted to provide 10 MW for the VIP area, the fan zone and the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) at the event, to ensure that millions of viewers would be able to follow the action throughout the tournament.

Similarly, Qatar was in need of an adequate power package to support its hosting of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Indoor World Championships 2010, which took place in Doha in March. With 1,200 athletes competing at the Aspire Dome, the event was broadcast to an audience of some 210 million on radio and television. As a result of its ever-growing experience with large-scale events of this kind, Aggreko was brought in to power the IBC as well as the lighting and hospitality village at the Aspire Dome, Qatar’s 290,000 square metre indoor sports stadium.

Temporary power is also being utilised to create more sustainable legacies for host cities. One of the challenges of hosting a major event is ensuring that the infrastructure built will be utilised in the years after the event has ended. Japan is still paying a heavy price for its hosting of the 2002 World Cup, with many of the stadiums built for the event sitting underutilised and costing the host cities

millions of dollars each year in maintenance and upkeep. In order to avoid this problem of ‘white elephant stadiums’, many organisers are creating ‘flexible’ venues with expanding capacity for major events. One example of this which has proven very successful is The Sevens stadium in Dubai, home of the Dubai Rugby Sevens.

The venue was designed as a ‘flexible venue’ which has a permanent grandstand with a capacity of 5,000 but can be expanded to a capacity of 40,000 with the addition of temporary stands and temporary power. The

stadium was built with the understanding that temporary power would be utilised during major events and in the two years since the venue has opened, Aggreko has worked closely with the organisers to install temporary power packages which have ensured the success of many events, including the Dubai Rugby World Cup in 2010.

So, as Qatar forges ahead with its multi million-dollar campaign to have Doha play host to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, temporary power providers will already be determining the best strategy to support players, supporters, visitors

and viewers.

Phil Burns adds: “Powering an event is a complex process and the application of the package must be tailored with specific needs and deliverables in mind. As the Middle East continues to power forward with its commitment to being a host nation of choice, the Aggreko team will be prepared to step in with a full turn-key power solution at any time.”

Rental power supports the growth of major events in the Middle East

“The use of a temporary power solution means that organisers can have a tailored supply that meets the exact needs of the event.”

Whilst hundreds of thousands of ardent football fans watched the games live in South Africa, there were countless millions of no

less passionate fans watching the World Cup on their TVs, in Fan Zones, plus many other public broadcasts around the world. So, the supply of uninterrupted power to the world’s broadcast media was a vital factor in the organiser’s successful presentation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to audiences around the world. A vital element in the supply of power to the broadcast compounds in each stadium and the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) was the consistency and quality of the power provided. Quality technical broadcasts require a steady stream of high quality power with absolutely no fluctuation.

This demand for quality power is generated by the need to protect the advanced and sensitive equipment used by international broadcasting companies. This high-tech equipment is susceptible to damage by even the smallest of power surges. Problems resulting from low quality power include poor sounds values, inconsistent signals, or in extreme cases, no signal at all. The most serious issue, however, is

an interruption in power. This can result in the shutdown of broadcast systems and the IBC’s live feed, a problem that could take hours to resolve. This would be a disaster for an event like the 2010 World Cup where the IBC in Johannesburg managed the media’s satellite feeds to hundreds of broadcasters around the world.

A winning power team During April this year, the final National Supporter of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was announced as Shanduka-Aggreko, the ‘official’ supplier of rental power for the broadcasting of the FIFA World Cup tournament which was held across 10 stadiums in South Africa from June 11 through to July 11, 2010. Shanduka-Aggreko is a joint-venture (JV) between the local energy company Shanduka Energy and the global power rentals specialist, Aggreko. The JV’s power contract involved providing top quality broadcasting power in all of the 10 World Cup Stadium Venues, the International Broadcasting

Centre plus the FIFA headquarters. This delivery of reliable power supported the broadcast of the Tournament’s 64 football matches to a global audience of over three billion.

Aggreko International’s Director of Marketing and Sales Development, Julian Ford, commented: “With our joint venture partners, Shanduka, we are extremely proud to be a National Supporter for this prestigious and high - profile global sports event which will support the development of our business in South Africa and demonstrates our vision for growth in the country. This sponsorship builds on our previous contract for the supply of temporary power during the 2009 Confederations Cup and further underlines our long-term commitment to the global major events sector. The Tournament will put South Africa firmly on the world stage drawing fans and spectators from almost every nation on Earth. We are proud to play our part in supporting the global broadcasting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”

Aggreko has been active in Africa for over a decade and in 2006 formed a partnership with Shanduka Energy in order to enhance its operations in South Africa. Aggreko now

The World is Watching


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Reliable power for broadcasting the 2010 FIFA World Cup

generates over 800 megawatts (MW) across over 20 African countries and employs some 450 people on the continent, over 80 percent of which are African nationals.

In 2009 Aggreko opened its first permanent depot in Midrand, South Africa.

An experienced power team member The role of Aggreko as a specialist temporary power provider at high-profile international events like the 2010 World Cup, is to provide a reliable power supply experience at the early planning and design stages, which contributes to the smooth running of the event. With crucial expertise gained at previous global sporting events, Aggreko provided the technical and engineering expertise required to deliver, install, operate and service the equipment that produced uninterrupted quality power throughout the 2010 World Cup’s early knockout stages, right through to the all important Final.

The team worked closely with the Organising Committee’s (OC) consultants and the end user client to configure a power system that met the needs of the tournament. However, any mechanical system, no matter how well designed and maintained, has the possibility of a breakdown. In order to mitigate this risk, Aggreko designed and agreed to a redundancy policy which satisfied the client’s budgetary and safety requirements. For critical applications they had multiple generators running on part load so that in the unlikely event of a breakdown the other units would accept the new load seamlessly. For non-critical applications where a break in supply was permissible, automatic transfer switches were used.

The international sporting events that attract enormous global TV audiences from all around the world, (such as golf, tennis, cricket, baseball and motor racing) usually take place in one large venue which in itself presents many unique power supply problems. However, the 2010 FIFA World Cup took place across 10 different stadiums which all needed continual and reliable supplies of electric power for the TV broadcasts.Each of these stadiums had to be treated as an individual project as they varied in size, design and location, which required logistical solutions.At each venue the team worked closely with the

venue manager to identify and create cable paths which met the client’s need for power distribution whilst ensuring safe and secure paths away from the public. At most sites the power generator compound was some distance from the stadium itself so the company designed and constructed cable bridges which were independently certified to carry the power safely over some roadways and footpaths well away from the general public. Within each stadium the power team used approved contractors to create the cable paths especially for this major event.

At events of this magnitude there is no substitute for experience. With many successful global power projects behind it (such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics and previous FIFA World Cup competitions), Aggreko’s experience and expertise continues to grow. An experienced power supplier understands the importance of the preparation and design stages which are then fully supported by competent installation and operational teams. The company has a long and successful track record of delivering reliable power systems for the broadcasting of major events around the world in a broad range of conditions and situations so they understand the variety of problems that can occur. The 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa last year was a test event for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. During this event the power team was able to work closely with the OC and their consultants to refine the ways in which the project was managed. One change that took place as a result of this test was that the OC awarded the contract to supply cable bridges and pathways for the 2010 World Cup Shanduka-Aggreko.

In total, the power team provided 36 MVA of power generation capacity via 258 generators and some 525 kilometres of distribution cables to support the broadcasting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Unlike the 2008 Beijing Olympics it is worth noting that the Aggreko equipment for the IBC operated 24/7 during the tournament

and was already providing power months before the event during the establishment and testing of the media broadcasting facilities. The generators were a combination of Aggreko 500 kVA and 800 kVA generating sets at the IBC and 800 kVA sets at each stadium. There were 10 stadiums each with 3 x 800 kVA sets for the broadcasting. The sets generated 1.5 MVA at each stadium and 16 MVA for the IBC. In addition, the power team provided twin 350 kVA generators at each venue to provide power for the large LED pitch boards which carried the sponsors messages during the matches. The power generation units were the standard Aggreko equipment as supplied to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and to the recent Vancouver Winter Olympics.

In Aggreko’s experience, the period leading up to a global event as important as the 2010 FIFA World Cup has many complicated issues to consider and resolve. Perhaps one of the most critical factors during the 2010 World Cup, was that of human resources. Aggreko had a team of event specialists and specialist equipment operators who were supported by locally recruited technicians. Even though the local engineers were well qualified and experienced in their own fields, extensive training programmes had to be organised so that they all understood the operating requirements of temporary power supply.

Aggreko’s previous World Cup experience has paid dividends as the company’s engineers at the various stadiums knew what to expect and just what equipment was needed in order to supply the quality power as required for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It must be remembered that the eyes of the world were on the FIFA World Cup, leaving no room for error. The reliable power required to energise this global football event in South Africa enabled the world’s media to broadcast this exciting event to an appreciative global audience.


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Custom built and upgraded to FIFA standards, 10 stadiums were host to the 64-matches played in the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup. Over a period of 30 days these stadiums were home to football stars of the beautiful game from around the globe.

Ellis Park – Johannesburg:Capacity: 61,639 Built: 1928 Upgraded: 1982, 2009Built as a rugby union stadium, Ellis Park was demolished due to structural discrepancies and rebuilt in 1982, again exclusively for rugby. This stadium saw the exit of the reigning 2006 champions Italy from the tournament at the hands of World Cup debutants Slovakia 3-2.

Loftus Versfield - Tshwane/ PretoriaCapacity: 49,365 Built: 1906 Upgraded: 2008One of the oldest stadiums in South Africa, Loftus Versfield stadium signalled the start of a very successful tournament for Ghana wining 1-0 against Serbia and going on to become the third African team in history to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

Royal Bafokeng – Rustenburg:Capacity: 44,530 Built: 1999 Upgraded: 2009Named after the Bafokeng people who live in the area, the stadium hosted 38,646 people who witnessed England’s Robert Green committing a memorable goal-keeping error which was destined to define England’s tournament.

Nelson Mandela Bay – Port Elizabeth Capacity: 46,082 Built: 2009 Shock waves echoed on the shores of Rio de Janeiro as the 5-time champions Brazil exited the tournament after losing to the Netherlands in a match that ended 2-1.

Peter Mokaba – Polokwane Capacity: 45,264 Built: 2010Inspired by the locally iconic Baobab tree, this stadium saw the origin of the French team’s problems, when at half time Nicholas Anelka launched into a verbal assault at Coach Raymond Domenech, leading to Anelka’s axing from the team and increasing discord at the French camp.

Stadiums of the World Cup

Soccer City (Sokkerstad in Afrikaans) – Johannesburg Capacity: 88,460 Built: 1987 Upgraded: 2009The most notable of all stadiums, Soccer City in Johannesburg drew inspiration from the iconic African pot, known as the Calabash. The design of the stadium is best appreciated at night. Built on the site of Nelson Mandela’s first speech after his release from prison, this stadium has a maximum capacity of 94,700 which was reduced to 88,460 during the 2010 FIFA World Cup to accommodate reserved seating for the press and other VIP’s. This iconic stadium witnessed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 World Cup as well as Spain’s history-making first World Cup title after defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final.

Durban Stadium – Durban Capacity: 69,957 Built: 2009Despite losing their opening match against Switzerland 1-0, which proved to be their only loss of the tournament, Spain went on to beat Germany by one goal in the dying moments of extra time in the semi-final and were crowned 2010 Champions in the final.

Free State - Mangaung/Bloemfontein Capacity: 45,058 Built 1952 Upgraded: 2009Making history as the first hosts to exit the tournament from the group stages, South Africa was only one of the casualties to exit in this stadium. Others included previous World Cup champions France and more notably England, who suffered a 4-1 loss against Germany in the round of 16 despite Frank Lampard’s goal that was...but never was.

Green Point – Cape Town:Capacity: 66,005 Built: 2009Led by charismatic coach and football legend Diego Maradona, the Argentinean national team failed to get past Joachim Loew’s German team as they fell to a 4-0 loss at the quarterfinals.

Mbombela – NelspruitCapacity: 43,589 Built: 2009 Literally meaning ‘many people together in a small space’, the Mbombela stadium hosting Serbia vs. Australia brought about the end of the World Cup dream for both teams, after the result of the Germany vs. Ghana match made it mathematically impossible for either to qualify.

1. What is the role of FIFA TV in broadcasting the World Cup?

FIFA TV is responsible for the overall contractual and commercial content of the Media Rights (including TV, radio, broadband and mobile audiovisual rights) and for the implementation of the agreements reached with Media Right Licensees on such content as part of the overall broadcaster services, operated by the FIFA Broadcaster Servicing Team under FIFA TV’s guidance.

FIFA entered a new era of TV strategy in 2007 when it successfully brought the entire broadcast operation in-house, ranging from the actual sale of rights, the development of a comprehensive in house footage archive (FIFA Films) to client servicing and the overall event operation.

2. Could you explain the role that Host Broadcast Services played in broadcasting the World Cup?

Although FIFA took the TV operations tasks in house in 2007, it kept key service providers from the past and thereby safeguarded continuity. Within this structure, Host Broadcast Services (HBS) was appointed host broadcaster for the 2010 World Cup and the forthcoming 2014 World Cup.

HBS is in charge of organizing the broadcast

operations and infrastructure. Its role also includes producing and transmitting the international audio and video signal as well as providing the necessary services and facilities for rights-holders and licensees to enable them to fulfill their production needs.

3. In the run-up to the World Cup, there was a lot of talk in the media about South Africa not being ready to host the tournament. What was your experience?

FIFA TV is ultimately responsible for the production of the TV signal, so one of our main priorities is ensuring that the host country can provide us with a platform to operate on. The platform needs to offer a stable telecommunications

infrastructure which has enough capacity to broadcast the games and to transmit the signals. This is why the power supply is so important, particularly the broadcast power.

Our experience in South Africa was that we were very confident in the ability of the country to host the World Cup, especially following its successful staging of the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009. The Confederations Cup gave us the opportunity to test the infrastructure, and to see the systems in place over a year before the FIFA World Cup started. Many of the World Cup suppliers, including Aggreko, were already in place for the Confederations Cup, so we were in a strong position from early on. Of course we knew there would be small issues along the way, but we had confidence that the major items were well in hand.

4. What are some of FIFA TV’s success stories from this World Cup?

We successfully delivered hundreds of hours of quality programming, which contained so many powerful images and emotions. The coverage of the tournament was extensive; we produced far more features than we have done in the past, allowing everyone at home to see more of this FIFA World Cup. We were immensely happy with both the coverage and the take-up.

5. What are the most challenging aspects of broadcasting an event like the World Cup?

The biggest challenge is that this is an event that takes places over a short time period and needs an incredible amount of organisation and structure to take place. The FIFA World Cup is by far the biggest sporting event in the world in terms of TV spectators; some of our broadcasters have reported coverage rates of 90 percent.

Given that the FIFA World Cup is the most-watched event on Earth, we are under intense pressure to satisfy this global interest. The technical infrastructure and telecommunications need to hold up and we have to make sure that the backup systems are ready to go. This is very important, particularly with regard to the power supply, because if there are outages, backups need to be seamless.

6. This World Cup saw FIFA working together with Sony to create a ‘3D Experience’ for football fans with many fan fests hosting 3D viewing areas. How successful was the 3D viewing project?

3D viewing was a great success; we produced 25 matches, which were viewed by hundreds of thousands of fans at FIFA Fan Fest 3D viewing areas and at the 600 cinemas worldwide which

also showed the games. Nine television channels took the 3D feed for viewing projects, which is incredible when you consider that there were no 3D channels available at the beginning of the year. Many 3D projects had been in the pipeline for years and by providing the 3D feed, we were able to help bring these projects forward.

7. What is the future for 3D viewing? Do you think it will become an alternative way of watching sporting events?

It is in its infancy so there are a lot of improvements that can still be made, but it seems like the more the technology is improved, the more people want to watch it. The 3D experience is different and offers a spectacular view of the action on the pitch compared to 2D viewing and I suspect that it will continue to lure those who want to feel closer to the action. We should though note that the 2D coverage is by far more comprehensive with 32 cameras and gives a better editorial product.

8. What innovations or changes in broadcasting do you expect to see at the next World Cup?

We don’t think there will any major technical shift in broadcast technology over the next four years but we will continue to develop our coverage and

increase the amount of content coming out of the event. During this World Cup we had FIFA TV crews which followed teams around during the entire tournament, providing exclusive content for each country’s team. That helped us to assist our clients in providing them the coverage they were looking for.

Also, we will look at producing more matches in 3D, but we haven’t taken any decision on that yet. We are in the process of debriefing to learn what

has worked and what could be improved and we are gathering feedback from our clients around the world.

9. What were the viewing figures for the 2010 FIFA World Cup?

The figures will be released later this year but initial indications look very promising and most of the figures are looking better than we hoped. In 2007 we undertook a review of how viewing figures are presented and we are now very cautious about releasing figures after a World Cup. We audit all the figures we receive in order to ensure that they are accurate and also that they present the information in a uniform way. In the past it has been difficult to compare the viewing figures from different sporting events because they all presented their results in different ways, so we have been working hard to ensure consistency and clarity in the viewing figures.

10. What are your expectations for Brazil 2014?

We are looking forward to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil; we hope that the event will continue to grow, especially since football is a very strong sport in Brazil. We have already been working on the Brazil World Cup for several years, so we are well underway. In fact, we have already more or less sold all the television rights for the event.


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FIFA TV Facts

214+ Countries and territories which broadcast the 2010 FIFA World CupTM

179 Media Rights Licensees (MRLs) present in South Africa2750 Hours of feeds produced by HBS18 Distinct feeds produced by HBS for each match75,000 m2 Compound space in total at venues1,900 km Cabling for all ten venues

700 Unilateral camera positions

Interview with Niclas Ericson Director of FIFA TV

The 2010 World Expo in Shanghai opened on May 1, 2010 with a lavish display of fireworks, fountains and laser lights, and like the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the

event showcased China’s growing economic and geopolitical influence. In a toast at the Expo’s Gala Dinner, China’s President Hu Jintao said that he was confident the world would witness a successful and unforgettable World-Expo. The star studded event included many Asian stars such as the film star Jackie Chan, the Japanese singer Shinji Tanimura, the concert pianist Lang Lang and the world famous opera singer Andrea Bocelli amongst the 2,300 performers.

After the gala dinner all of the guests moved outside to special viewing areas so they could join with the thousands of people already on the riverbanks for the gigantic lights, music and fireworks extravaganza that lit up the riverbanks and most of the surrounding areas along the Huangpu River with over 1,200 searchlights, powerful lasers and mobile fountains. The waters glowed with 6,000 rose hued LED balls and lights from a parade of flag boats that represented the numerous countries participating in the record breaking 2010 World Expo.

The organisers of this year’s World Expo expect more than 70 million people to visit the event which is being held from May 31 to October 31, 2010. The Shanghai Expo is being touted as the largest international Expo in its 159 year history with more than 190 countries participating in

a total area of some 5.28 square kilometres. The various magnificent pavilions from each country have been built on what was previously undeveloped wasteland to avoid damaging the City’s existing housing stocks to ensure that the event will enhance the City rather than harming it.

The 2010 World Expo’s reliable energy needs

A global event on the scale of the World Expo creates its own set of problems that need tailor-made solutions which are only required for as long as the event is due to run. The Expo site, with 190 plus pavilions and 70 million visitors forecasted together with all of the Expo’s support services, is the size of a small city in itself. At the top of the list of essential services is energy as today’s hi-tech world needs vast amounts of electric power to support all of the event’s attractions and services. Whilst Shanghai enjoys stable power supplies that are able to satisfy most of the energy needs of the World Expo, the event’s organisers knew that they had to provide a temporary power solution in order to guarantee

Reliable Power for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai

Fireworks, lasers and lights


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reliable power for the extra power requirements of the colossal opening and closing ceremonies which would be seen by millions of viewers in China and all over the world.

After many months of negotiations, the specialist temporary power company Aggreko signed a contract for the supply of 21 MVA of power together with 24 hour onsite supervision and fuel management services for both the Expo’s opening and closing ceremonies. For the opening ceremony Aggreko supplied twin power generating units at 13 locations along the famous Shanghai Bund in both the Puxi and Pudong Expo parks. Each location had its own unique power requirements ranging from 500 kVA to 1,200 kVA, which powered the special effects, lighting and sound displays. Additionally, 100 percent redundancy was also required due to the extremely sensitive and critical nature of the power supplies.

The primary role of a specialist temporary power provider at a high profile global event, such as the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, is to bring vital experience and expertise to the early planning stages, and then to provide the technical and logistic expertise to deliver the required equipment, which in turn supplies the event with uninterrupted, quality power. Another crucial element in the supply of quality power throughout the opening and closing ceremonies is Aggreko’s specialist operating and servicing team of technicians and engineers who have the necessary experience to ensure that all goes smoothly on the night.

The demand for power reliability from event organisers and their on-site contractors, is on the increase as more complicated technically driven energy requirements are being created by ‘high- profile’ events, such as the 2010 World Expo. The complex energy demands originate from the event’s management, designers, contractors, local and international media, sponsors, corporate hospitality, on-site live and recorded broadcasts, climate control, catering and retail outlets.

Reliable power is vital for an event’s success There is no such thing as a standard project so there are no standard solutions available for reliable power. Each project has unique problems which in turn require bespoke solutions. These problems cover such considerations as security, heath & safety, equipment, operations, fuel supplies, servicing, maintenance plus transportation logistics to ensure speedy delivery of the power equipment.

The project planning needs a great deal of front-end research in order to understand the local conditions that will be experienced in the field.

This research will include many meetings with the organisers and main contractors to discuss security and safety concerns. It is also vital that the power supply company understands local legislation and regulations and that they meet with the customer’s own personnel in the country they will be working with.

The transportation logistics of delivering all of the equipment to site also plays a vital role in the final power supply solution as delivering all the power generating equipment plus all of the associated ancillaries can be extremely difficult and problematic. First there is the technical proposal that is prepared once the event organiser has indicated a need for temporary power on-site. Detailed planning and organisation is required to ensure all the power equipment and materials arrive on-site as and when required to minimise the installation times.

Whilst the temporary power equipment does not require special foundations or ground work, a level and well drained site is important for the safe and effective running of the event’s power equipment. The installation and commissioning team work must work closely with the local power utility and the organiser’s engineering and construction teams to ensure that all of the site preparations are made prior to the arrival of the equipment.

An effective working partnership

Due to the high-profile nature of the event, there was a need for ultra-high quality supply of electric power together with full back-up services for all power needs across the Expo during the opening and closing ceremonies. For most of the locations, the power supply systems had to be fully tested and fully operational many weeks before the opening night to ensure that all of the power generation equipment and the distribution systems were working effectively and that the operating teams were working effectively together.

The power utility in Shanghai is a highly competent and efficient provider of electric power to one of Asia’s most diverse and vibrant cities. The City of Shanghai has been experiencing exhilarating times in recent years as the city continues to grow and develop into a pulsating international city that really does reflect China’s dynamic growth. However, the power utility for Shanghai has never had to supply the required levels of uninterrupted quality power with all of its many constant energy needs to a global event like the 2010 World Expo. The event’s own energy needs were within the scope of the utility but the massive increase in energy for the opening and closing ceremonies were outside of normal power supply experience.

This is the reason why the specialist temporary power supplier to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Aggreko, was called upon to ensure reliable supplies of energy throughout the critical opening and closing stages of the 2010 World Expo. Aggreko was able to partner with the Chinese utility to power, not only the public face of this global spectacular, but also to anticipate and supply all of the vital back-up power service that would act as an insurance policy in the case of a major power outage.

Rather than installing all the chillers at one central point, Aggreko’s engineers determined that it would be more efficient to install several smaller chilling packages at various points along the track. Working together with the operations team at Flevonice, the chilling packages were built into the design of the ice rink in order to increase the chilling efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

Flevonice opened to the public in November 2007 –in a year when winter temperatures sometimes rose to 10 degrees Celsius, making it difficult to keep the ice chilled at a constant temperature. Although Flevonice was an instant success with children and families in the area, professional skaters were less impressed with the quality of ice. When planning for the opening of the facility in November 2009, the management team contacted Aggreko to see what improvements could be made to the cooling package in order to improve the quality of the ice. After examining the design of the rink, Aggreko’s engineers determined that the problem was the flow of glycol through the tubes under the rink. After being chilled to -20 degrees Celsius in Aggreko’s chillers, the glycol would travel through the tubes, rapidly warming, until it was reintroduced to the chillers at a temperature of -2 degrees. The difference in temperature of the glycol was creating ‘hot spots’ on the ice, which caused the ice to become bumpy in patches.

In order to solve this problem, Aggreko engineers altered the cooling system so that the flow of glycol could be reversed every five minutes. This meant that glycol flowing from right to left would switch and start flowing from left to right, ensuring a more stable temperature and resulting

in a drastic reduction of ‘hot spots’. In fact, the quality of ice has improved so much that during the winter of 2009/2010, Flevonice was able to host a professional-level ice skating marathon. Flevonice was praised by the ice skaters attending the event and Dutch skating legend Rintje Ritsma has since become an ambassador for Flevonice. The long track speed skater, who won two silver and four bronze Olympic medals, said: “The good news is that this track is suitable for everyone. Whether you are a professional skater training for an alternative Elfstedentocht [the world’s longest speed skating race] or just want to enjoy some leisurely skating, Flevonice offers something for everyone.”

Flevonice has been operating successfully for three years but the company has no plans to purchase chillers to replace the units rented from Aggreko each year. Although at first it might seem that purchasing equipment would be a more cost-effective option, when the full costs are examined, the rental option becomes more attractive. Aggreko provides Flevonice with a full turn-key service, which means that all aspects of the chilling project, including design, engineering, mobilisation, installation, commissioning and operation are all provided by Aggreko’s technicians. This results in substantial man-power savings for Flevonice, which would otherwise have to hire its own technicians to install and operate the equipment.

Renting from Aggreko also provides a great deal of flexibility for Flevonice. Equipment is only rented when it is needed, and the amount of chilling can be easily ramped up or down as required. For Flevonice, which only requires chillers during the winter, this flexibility is particularly useful as purchased equipment would need to be stored

over the summer months. Finally, because Aggreko equipment is of the highest quality, the management at Flevonice has the reassurance of knowing that the rink is always supplied with the best possible chilling equipment.

Henk Ketelaar, Managing Director of Flevonice, commented on Aggreko’s role in the project, saying: “We have been very pleased with the cooperation and good service we’ve received from Aggreko. Flevonice is the largest ice rink in the world and because of this, it has unique cooling needs. Together with the Aggreko team we have designed a chilling system which is efficient and effective and which ensures that customers coming to Flevonice have an unforgettable experience on ice.”

There are few images as quintessentially Dutch as an excited group of families and friends ice skating along the canals of the Netherlands. Along

with windmills, clogs and tulips, ice skating has become an intrinsic part of the Dutch national psyche, with thousands of avid skaters eagerly watching the temperatures in the winter, waiting for a cold spell long enough to freeze the canals that criss-cross the countryside. However, in order to fully freeze the canals, temperatures need to remain at below zero for several weeks in a row; something that has happened less and less frequently in recent years.

Although Holland has many ice rinks scattered across the country, none of the rinks offer an experience like canal skating. For this reason Henk Ketelaar, a Dutch entrepreneur, decided to create an artificial skating park that would give the Dutch the closest thing possible to canal skating, no matter what the temperature. In 2007, after an initial investment of 20 million Euros, Flevonice was born.

Flevonice is a relatively simple concept, consisting of a track five metres wide and five kilometres long, which winds its way around a 1,000,000 m2 field. It is the longest ice rink in the world.

In addition to the track, Flevonice also has a standard 400-metre rink for skaters to practice on and a small children’s area. The facility can easily accommodate up to 5,000 skaters. In 2009/2010, the ice rink operated from November to March, and was converted to a sand track in the summer months for BMX and mountain biking.

Coming up with the dream of creating the world’s longest ice track was one thing, but making that dream a reality was a greater challenge. One of the most obvious problems that faced the management team at Flevonice was the question of how to chill the ice in warmer weather. In order to solve this problem, Flevonice contacted Aggreko, the largest cooling equipment rental company in the world.

Most artificial ice rinks utilise a standard approach to freezing the water on the ice and to maintaining its temperature: small pipes are installed under the rink which contain glycol, a type of anti-freeze. The glycol is chilled to -20 degrees Celsius and is pumped through the pipes, freezing the water above. Aggreko provides this type of temperature control solution to ice rinks all over the world. However, because the main track at Flevonice was so long and narrow, it posed unique challenges for the engineers designing the chilling system.


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Aggreko chilling plants were installed at various points along the ice rink.

The Big ChillCooling the World’s longest ice rink

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Since its creation in 2001, the Red Bull Air Race has brought stunt flying to greater and greater heights. More than just a speed race, the event challenges the world’s best pilots,

testing their precision, agility and manoeuvring skills, whilst putting on a tremendous show for spectators. Specially designed obstacle courses provide not only a breath-taking acrobatic display of skills but leave people on the edge of their seats.

The objective for the pilots taking part in the competition is to complete specially designed courses, navigating 20 metre (65 ft) high inflatable pylons known as ‘Air Gates’ in the fastest possible time. In addition to the pressure of racing against the clock, pilots must pass between the Air Gates in the correct position (either knife or level flying) taking care not to touch them with their wings. Precision is crucial because any mistakes incur penalty seconds which are added to the pilot’s final time.

Held in Rio de Janeiro for only the second time, the third Red Bull Air Race of 2010 began on May 8th, 2010. The race was scheduled to be held over two consecutive days, with the qualifiers held on the first day and the main race taking place on the second day.

In order to successfully host the event, the organisers needed to provide power and cooling to their main technical and domestic areas. This included power for the airport infrastructure, command compound, race control, the


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Supporting the Red Bull air race 2010

Flamengo Beach sound system and LED screen towers. In addition, the organisers needed temperature cooling for all these areas as well as for the kitchen and broadcast tent.

In total, the event’s organisers needed 5 MVA of power and 450 tons of air conditioning. To put this amount of power in context, 5 MVA is enough to power a town of 5,000 households. The organisers approached Aggreko, global leader in the supply of temporary power and temperature control, to provide the necessary power and temperature control packages. By contracting Aggreko, they were able to outsource all aspects of the power and temperature control provision, including the design and engineering of the power packages.

Designing a power package for a major event requires a great deal of expertise because of the need to safely distribute the power from the generators to the equipment located throughout the venue. The cables required to distribute the power for the Red Bull Air Race could not cross roads or viewing areas, which is why Aggreko utilised a number of smaller generator sets, rather than simply having one power plant for the venue. In addition, cable ramps had to be installed to ensure that the power was distributed safely; in total, over 14 kilometres of cable was used to power the event.

The generators that Aggreko utilised for the project were small canopied sets which included additional insulation to ensure quiet running during operations. This is an especially important consideration when equipment is operating in a public location like the Flamengo Beach. The result was that the turn-key power packages ensured that the event’s organisers had continuous power to run all technical areas necessary for race safety and broadcast.

Open air events are often associated with uncertain weather conditions and this was evident when heavy rainfall and gusty winds hit Flamengo Beach on the main race day. However, a dedicated team of Aggreko employees were on site to ensure that the power supply remained reliable and unaffected even during the adverse weather conditions.

Unfortunately, the heavy rain made it impossible to allow the pilots to fly and pilots who were in the air at the time were called back to the Race Airport. Although 250,000 fans waited for several hours hoping that conditions would improve, organisers eventually decided not to continue with the race due to the inclement weather and unpromising forecast. This was only the second time that a race has ever been cancelled in the event’s 46-race history.

Despite the cancellation of the main race, the organisers were able to declare a winner based on the event’s first twelve races which had taken place during qualifiers. Heavy rain had been anticipated for the main race day, so the pilots competing in the qualifiers were aware that their performance could be used to award points for Brazilian round of the Air Race. Hannes Arch of Austria was declared the winner of the Red Bull Air Race in Rio de Janeiro, with Britain’s Nigel Lamb awarded second place and championship leader Paul Bonhomme coming in third.

However, Paul Bonhomme was ultimately able to defend his position as championship leader by finishing the season with a total of 64 points and narrowly defeating rival Hannes Arch. The final race of the 2010 season took place in Salzburg at the Euro Speedway Lausitz. Bonhomme is now the most successful pilot in the history of the sport with 13 career victories.

The organisers of the Red Bull Air Race announced before the final round in Germany that they would be taking a one-year break in 2011 ‘for the future success and development of the sport’, leaving millions of fans from around the world eagerly awaiting the return of this exciting sport in 2012. With 144 locations operating world-wide, Aggreko will be available to provide the power for this exciting event, whenever and wherever it takes place.

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Power in the skies

…Power Takes Centre Stage

When The World Is Watching…

With football fans in South Africa and around the world watching every kick of the ball, a reliable power supply for broadcasting is paramount for a successful event. Shanduka and Aggreko are proud to have supplied the 2010 FIFA World Cup with temporary power services during the tournament and congratulate FIFA, the Local Organising Committee and the people of South Africa on the successful delivery of a fantastic event enjoyed by millions of fans world-wide.

Power for broadcasting at Soccer City

Powering Major Events

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