Concept
SA Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi (ACEC) was a Belgian manufacturer of electrical generation, transmission, transport, lighting and industrial equipment, with origins dating to the late 19th century as a successor to the Société Électricité et Hydraulique founded by Julien Dulait. After World War II the company expanded into electronics, and became a contractor to the nuclear industry. The company was acquired by Westinghouse in 1970; in 1985 Westinghouse's share was acquired by Société Générale de Belgique (SGB) and Compagnie Générale d'Electricité (CGE). The company operated at a loss during the 1980s, and was split and sold; Alstom and its affiliates acquired the majority of the company, along with ABB and Alcatel Bell and others. The remnants of the company were merged into Union Minière in 1989, forming ACEC Union Minière. In 1878 Julien Dulait (1855–1926), son of steelworks engineer Jules Dulait began experiments into electrical and hydraulic machines; with co-worker Désiré Barras he created an electricity generating machine powered by an hydroelectric turbine. In 1881 the Compagnie générale d'Electricité was formed in Charleroi with Dulait as consulting engineer, constructing machines to Dulait's designs and those of Zénobe Gramme. In 1886 the company was renamed becoming Société anonyme Électricité et Hydraulique à Charleroi (E&H), by this time the factory was producing dynamos with over 100 kW power. By 1900 the company had supplied electric lighting to the cities of Liege, Charleroi and Schaerbeek, and opened a new factory in Marcinelle/Marchienne. In 1904 the company supplied trams for a line in Cointe, Liege- – the first entirely Belgian built trams. The company's product range included dynamos, lifts, carbon arc lamps, electric traction motors for trams and drilling equipment. In 1898, the company established a factory in France in Jeumont (France/Belgium border).
