Construction and Infrastructure

There’s a mining boom in Namibia that is placing extra demands on electricity supply—necessitating a complete restructuring of the industry, as Alan Swaby learns.

Let a private company sell below cost for any length of time and it will inevitably end up staring down the barrel of disaster. But when the seller is a public body, it’s much easier to fudge the true situation and avoid a similar fate.

French power utility EDF has announced plans to construct a 900 MW supercritical coal-fired power plant on the Rybnik site in Poland.

The project, worth around €1.8 billion, will involve the replacement of the four oldest units at the Rybnik plant with a single, more efficient one.

EDF said the advantage of the supercritical technology is its capacity to achieve the highest net efficiency in the market—equivalent to 45 per cent.

United Engineering Construction (UNEC) is responsible for some of the most innovative and iconic buildings in the United Arab Emirates. Now, it has its sights set on neighbouring Arabian markets and the Maghreb.

Proposals for a four-runway airport in the Thames Estuary were unveiled yesterday by Lord Foster, the founder of UK architects Foster & Partners.

The Thames Hub would encompass a new flood barrier and river crossing, rail and shipping infrastructure and an international airport at the Isle of Grain in Kent.

The project was unveiled by Foster & Partners alongside planners and builders Halcrow and consultancy group Volterra.

UK engineering company Costain has been awarded a £400 million contract to redevelop London Bridge Station, it has been announced.

Under the terms of the contract from Network Rail, which is worth £400 million over a five-year period, Maidenhead, Berkshire-based Costain will carry out the detailed design and delivery of the project.

The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change has today given the go-ahead for two new power stations to be constructed in Yorkshire that together are expected to create over 1,000 jobs.

The two new plants will generate enough energy to power almost two million UK homes.

The first is Ferrybridge, a 108 MW multifuel power plant in Wakefield, representing an investment of £250 million by SSE Generation.

ِSaudi Railways Organisation has awarded the contract for the second phase of its Haramain High Speed Rail Project to the Spanish consortium Al-Shoula.

The €6.7 billion contract includes the construction of railway tracks, installation of signalling and telecommunication systems, electrification, an operational control centre, the procurement of 35 trains, and operation and maintenance for a period of 12 years.

By awarding the second phase contract, all phases of the project have now been awarded and work is underway as planned.

SNC-Lavalin has announced that its 50/50 joint venture partnership with Graham Infrastructure, the North Link Partnership, has been awarded a $300 million contract to provide construction services for the Edmonton North light rapid transit (LRT) project.

Under the terms of the contract, the partnership will provide construction management services, provision of labour, materials and equipment for all construction work, and testing and commissioning of the system for handover to the city.

One of Kuwait’s oldest pipeline construction companies is gearing up for growth. General manager Mohammad Al-Hazza’a talks to Gay Sutton about strategic partnerships and the value of longstanding staff loyalty.

Dutch rail operator Abellio Group has been selected by the UK’s Department for Transport to operate the Greater Anglia train franchise.

The new franchise, due to start in February 2012, will provide intercity, commuter and rural services throughout the Greater Anglia region.

In the UK, the company already operates the rail companies Merseyrail and Northern Rail, as well as the bus companies Abellio London & Surrey.