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GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Work Is Completed On 10 Design’S Seagull-Shaped Civic Centre In GuangdongWork has been completed on the Zhuhai Civil Service Centre in Zhuhai, a city in China of 2.5 million people, bordering Macao in the southeastern province of Guangdong.
The building combines a 73m-high emergency control tower and four civil service office buildings connected by a public deck. These buildings now accommodate more than 80 government departments dealing with areas such as taxation, social security, and property transactions.
It is sited next to recreational facilities such as a public library, sports stadium, cultural palace, museums and youth activity centres.
The architect on the project was 10 Design, a subsidiary of French consultant Egis. It said the aim was to create a “vibrant hub” in the city’s civic hub.
Peby Pratama, the firm’s design principal, said the centre aimed to be a “model for what government buildings can and should be – a welcoming, vibrant centre built for the community and complementing the surrounding nature and neighbouring landmarks”.
The 200,000 sq m building is divided into two blocks with a public area between. They are topped by a photovoltaic canopy that is intended to suggest the wings of a seagull.
The work was carried out in conjunction with the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD), which also handled the landscape architecture and the M&E packages.
BIAD also designed Zhuhai’s egg-shaped opera house, completed in 2018.
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Further readingrailway
Nov 29, 2024
GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
France Contemplates Interest-Free Loan To Get Six-Reactor Plan MovingFrance is planning to make an interest-free loan to utility EDF to overcome funding problems with its nuclear development plans, the Reuters news agency reports.
The aim is to build six reactors to revitalise the country’s ageing fleet of 18 nuclear power stations, whose 57 reactors supply 70% of the country’s electricity.
The size of the loan is not known, but Reuters notes that the programme has been roughly costed at €50bn, although later reports suggested it could be nearer to €67bn.
This would be sure to be a controversial decision, given France’s ballooning public debt. AP reported yesterday that the government’s plans to raise taxes and cut spending was likely to lead to a no-confidence vote.
Prime minister Michel Barnier warned that the fall of his government would lead to turmoil, particularly on the financial markets.
President Emmanuel Macron announced the plan to add 10GW to the country’s installed capacity in 2022, but he did not say how it would be paid for.
According to Reuters’ sources, “intense discussions” are taking place over the loan amount, and the sharing of risk between EDF and the French government.
The loan would be approved by the finance ministry once EDF submits its final costing for the projects, which is expected early next year. Work on the first reactor is due to begin in 2017.
• Subscribe here to get stories about construction around the world in your inbox three times a week.railway
Nov 29, 2024
GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Riyadh Metro To Open After 12-Year Multinational Mega ProjectSaudi Arabia’s King Salman officially inaugurated the Riyadh Metro on Wednesday, ending a 12-year megaproject involving dozens of engineering, design and contracting firms from all over the world.
Estimated to have cost in the region of $23bn, the driverless system has six lines totalling 176km, with 85 stations, 34 of them elevated.
Signature architects designed four, iconic interchange stations.
The system is designed to carry up to 3.6 million passengers a day, bringing relief to commuters in a rapidly growing city choked by the cars it was designed for.
Since preparations for the metro began in 2012, Riyadh’s population has grown nearly 40% to 7.8 million.
“Today, Riyadh City is reaping the benefits of this project that will reshape the capital’s image and redefine mobility for its residents and visitors,” said Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al Sultan, chief executive of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.
The system will open for passengers in phases, with lines 1, 4, and 6 (Blue, Yellow, and Purple) opening on Sunday, 1 December.
Lines 2 (Red) and 5 (Green) are scheduled to open 15 December, while Line 3 (Orange) is set to open on 5 January.
In 2013, three international construction and engineering consortia were awarded contracts to design and build the lines and stations.
The “FAST” consortium won the biggest package, delivering lines 4, 5, and 6.
It was led by Spain’s FCC with partners Samsung C&T (South Korea), Alstom (France), Strukton (Netherlands), Freyssinet Saudi Arabia (KSA), Atkins (now AtkinsRéalis, Canada), Typsa (Spain), and Setec (France).
It marshalled 8,000 personnel combining 38 nationalities and 22 languages.
Lines 1 and 2 went to the “BACS” consortium comprising Bechtel (USA), Almabani (KSA), Consolidated Contractors Company (Greece), and Siemens (Germany).
The “ANM” consortium built Line 3. Its members are Webuild (formerly Salini Impregilo, Italy), Hitachi (Japan), Bombardier (now Alstom), Larsen & Toubro (India), Nesma & Partners (KSA), Idom (Spain), and Worley Parsons (Australia).
The “RMTC” consortium of Egis (France), Parsons (USA), and Systra (France) also provided supervisory and project management services for Lines 1, 2, and 3.
Signature architects designed the network’s four, iconic interchange stations after an international competition organised by RCRC.
Zaha Hadid Architects (UK) designed King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) station; Snøhetta (Norway) designed Qasr Al Hokm station; Gerber Architekten (Germany) designed STC station; and Omrania (KSA) designed Western Station.
KAFD and Qasr Al Hokm stations have won gold LEED certifications.
The system’s 183 trains were manufactured by Siemens (Germany) and Alstom (with Bombardier, France) to a unified design by Avant Premiere (France).
• Subscribe here to get stories about construction around the world in your inbox three times a weekrailway
Nov 29, 2024
GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Germany Approves €24Bn Fund To Kickstart Hydrogen EconomyGermany’s state-owned development bank KfW has approved a €24bn loan to support the construction of the country’s core hydrogen network.
This will involve converting gas pipelines to carry hydrogen, creating a 9,040km-long system by 2032.
The aim is to link hydrogen production sites with industrial centres and the wider European network.
The €24bn will be paid into an amortisation account and made available to the private companies that build and operate the network.
This will help them get on with the work despite the low returns they can expect in the first years of the project.
Germany’s Federal Network Agency, which will oversee the asset, will set a ceiling for network fees to create an incentive for customers to switch to hydrogen.
Stefan Wintels, chief executive of KfW, said the construction of the network was a “pioneering project” and crucial for the future of hydrogen.
He added: “A successful transition to hydrogen is particularly critical for energy-intensive industries. The amortisation account will play a key role here: the funds provided by KfW via the account will make a significant contribution to a viable financing concept for the hydrogen core network.”
The authorities hope the move will kickstart the sector, which has appeared to be stalling. In September, the plan to move to a hydrogen economy received a blow when Norwegian energy company Equinor scrapped plans to export hydrogen to Germany over fears of high costs and low demand (see further reading).
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Further readingrailway
Nov 29, 2024
GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Work Starts On Venues For World’S Biggest Festival Of Ice SculptureThe event, the largest of its kind in the world, has in previous years attracted 18 million visitors and generated $4.4bn in revenue.
Some 10,000 construction workers are preparing the 1 million sq m Ice and Snow World Park, the largest of the event’s three main venues. They are cutting the blocks of ice that will be turned into colossal buildings, ornamental bridges, slides and cartoon animals, among other things.
The festival will begin in January with a firework display, but visitors can view the exhibits from mid-December.
Some of the ice blocks that will be used are currently being transported to the site after being kept in cold storage for the past 10 months. Others are cut from the nearby Songhua River.railway
Nov 28, 2024
GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Construction Starts On $1.6Bn Dallas Fort Worth Terminal FTerminal F was designed with an eye to the addition of extra gates in the future, and is being built using modular techniques. Elements are presently being engineered at a factory site.
The project is being designed and built by the Innovation Next+, an all-American consortium made up of Archer Western Construction, Turner Construction, Phillips May Corporation, HJ Russell & Company and Carcon Industries. The consultants include Gensler, PGAL and Muller2.
Sean Donohue, DFW’s chief executive, said: “Terminal F will expand the airport’s footprint with state-of-the-art facilities that align with our first-in-class customer experience and operation as we support the historic rise in air travel to and from the north Texas region.”
Passengers using Terminal F will check in at Terminal E, and will move between the two using the airport’s Skylink light rail system.
The project is due to open to the public in 2027.
In September 2024, work began on $9bn of improvement works at DFW, including a rebuild of Terminal C and an expansion of Terminal A.
DFW is the world’s third busiest airport by passenger traffic, after Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta and Dubai International.railway
Nov 28, 2024
GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Deme-Led Consortium To Build €300M Terminal At German Port Of CuxhavenExpected to cost €300m in total, the terminal is being developed by a consortium that also includes two German firms: marine engineer Tagu and general contractor Depenbrock.
It will boost Cuxhaven’s ability to handle heavy-duty loads, particularly components for wind farms.
It will be operated by Niedersachsen Ports (NPorts), and will consist of berths and 1,250m of quay, as well as a storage area of 38ha.
Deme will carry out dredging and land reclamation works. Lutz Dröge, area manager for Germany, said in a press statement: “Construction of the expanded terminal requires an innovative technical approach.
“The project includes the installation of combi-walls and land reclamation in a dynamic estuarine environment, meeting the complex engineering requirements tailored to a heavy load terminal and demanding geotechnical conditions.”
The company is expected to use two suction hopper dredgers and a backhoe dredger to reposition more than 3 million cubic metres of mud.
It was announced in March that finance for the project would be provided by the federal government together with the state of Lower Saxony and private industry.
Deme and its consortium partners previously delivered berths 8 and 4 at the same port. Additionally, Deme used Cuxhaven as its base during work on the Borkum Riffgrund 2 offshore wind farm.
In the past, the company has also worked on deepening of the Elbe River, which flows into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, and the widening of the Kiel Canal.
This project will start early next year and complete in the middle of 2028.
Further reading:railway
Nov 28, 2024
GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Construction Begins On Russia’S Largest Wind FarmThe project will be carried out in two phases, the first of which involves the installation and commissioning of 61 turbines with a capacity of 152MW. This is due to be completed next year.
Fifty-nine units will be installed in the second phase, and will begin operations in 2026. When that happens, the Novolakskaya wind farm will generate 879 GW/h of energy a year.
At present, 190 workers are present at the site in the Kumtorkalinsky, where they are installing foundations and creating access roads. A plant capable of mixing 140 cubic metres of concrete an hour is operating at the site.
Sergei Nazarov, the Russian Federation’s deputy minister for economic development, said in a press statement that the plant would be a “breakthrough” project and would promote the “social and economic development of the North Caucasus Federal District”.
He said: “I would like to note that the wind farm will allow the creation of additional generation in the Novolaksky District, providing a source of environmentally friendly energy to stabilise the grid voltage, improve robustness of power supply to the population and offer the opportunity of economic and social development of the territory."
Further Reading:railway
Nov 28, 2024
GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Aecom, Jacobs Hired For $7Bn Upgrade Of Vancouver’S Water SystemBuilt in 1963, it treats 200 billion litres of wastewater a year for around 750,000 people in the Canadian city.
That accounts for some 40% of wastewater treated in the Vancouver Sewerage Area.
Owing to population growth, Metro Vancouver expects the number of people served to grow to 950,000 by 2051.
Set to last until 2035, the upgrade is intended to improve the plant’s capacity and resilience in line with public health statutory requirements.
It will boost tertiary treatment to detoxify discharges into the Salish Sea.
Extensive ground improvements will protect the plant from earthquakes and rising sea levels.
Iona Beach Regional Park’s sensitive ecosystems will be restored to enhance visitors’ connection to nature.
The project will also improve the plant’s ability to recover water for non-potable uses and biogas.
Aecom and Jacobs will provide design and project planning oversight.railway
Nov 27, 2024
GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Alstom Extends Saudi Arabia Freight Railway ContractUnder the agreement, Alstom will provide technical assistance, spare parts and training programmes for the Saudi Railway Company (SAR).
Trains will be monitored in real-time through the company’s HealthHub system in an effort to optimise the availability of diesel locomotives.
Mohamed Khalil, Alstom’s managing director in the Middle East, said: “By empowering SAR with cutting-edge technologies and knowledge transfer, we are fostering a competitive and sustainable sector while enriching local talent and expertise within the kingdom’s railway industry.
“This collaboration will provide SAR engineers and technicians with invaluable hands-on experience.”
Saudi Arabia’s east–west railway connects the Gulf ports of Dammam and Jubail with Riyadh’s dry port.railway
Nov 27, 2024GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Polish Firm To Build $10.6Bn Ammonia Plant In EgyptThe plan is to produce ammonia for export to the EU using renewable energy.
Ammonia (NH3) – a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen – has emerged as a cheaper and easier way to ship green hydrogen because it can be liquified at much higher temperatures than pure hydrogen can.
GAFI is betting that European demand for the gas will grow from 7.2 million tonnes of non-green hydrogen in 2023 to 20 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030. ‘Green’ hydrogen is produced using renewable energy.
The first phase will require an investment of $1.6bn and will be complete in 2030, when it will begin producing up to 400,000 tonnes of ammonia a year.
The ultimate aim is to invest $10.6bn and produce 1 million tonnes of green ammonia a year when the facility is complete.
The plant will run on solar and wind energy, with any surplus flowing into Egypt’s national grid.
No information was given on how the project will be financed.
Hynfra aims to build five green ammonia plants to serve markets in Central and Eastern Europe. Over the past two years, it has signed preliminary agreements to build these in Jordan, Mauritania and Ukraine.
Egypt is targeting $60 billion of investment over the coming decades as it attempts to become a global centre for green hydrogen and green ammonia.
Its national hydrogen strategy, released in August, has set a target to capture up to 8% of the global tradeable hydrogen market by 2040. This would increase the country’s GDP by $18bn.
Further reading:railway
Nov 27, 2024GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW Railway
Germany Is Building The World’S Tallest Wind TurbineThe 365m-high turbine is under construction in the Lusatia region of northeast Germany.
Costing between €20m and €30m, it’s being financed by the Federal Agency for Disruptive Technologies (Sprind) and built in collaboration with Dresden-based engineer Gicon.
The turbine uses conventionally-produced 65m blades and can be extended like a telescope to its full height, which allows it to take advantage of the tendency for wind speed to increase with altitude.
“At that height there are practically no areas any more with a lack of wind,” said Martin Chaumet, head of Sprind subsidiary Beventum.
The turbine is scheduled to begin generating electricity next summer.
Gicon has been working on high-altitude wind turbines for 10 years, and earlier this month erected a 300m-tall wind measurement mast, the world’s tallest.
Further reading:railway
Nov 27, 2024