GE Energy has opened its first rentals facility in China, thus expanding its presence in Asia and its local capabilities to support the temporary power requirements of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Located in the Xiaoshan economic development zone of Jangzhou city, Zhejiang Province, the rental facility will offer a full range of temporary power and climate control solutions for customers in China and surrounding Asian countries. The facility is within a site for GE’s hydropower factory that opened recently.

“The new rentals facility will be able to offer our Chinese customers shorter delivery time and lower cost,” said Steve Fludder, president and CEO of GE Energy China. “A key function of the facility will be to supply rental power equipment and services as part of GE’s support of the 2008 Summer Olympics.”

Earlier this year, GE announced a partnership with the Beijing Organizing Committee as part of its eight-year worldwide sponsorship of the Olympics.

GE energy rentals in China will provide equipment to meet remote, temporary, backup, cooling and peak shaving power generation needs. Services will include application engineering, delivery, installation, operation and maintenance.

GE energy rentals set up its first Asian operations after the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Since then, it has large power projects in Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and China, with the Asian headquarters for GE’s energy rental business in Singapore.

Based in Atlanta, GE Energy Rentals is No. 20 on the RER 100.