Finance & Funding

Caterpillar eyes better performance in 2015 amid stormy weather

May 13, 2015

Caterpillar vice president Paolo Fellin sums up the past year for the global equipment manufacturer and looks at the increasing importance of telematics and machine control. David Arminas reports from Caterpillar’s Demonstration and Learning Centre in Malaga, southern Spain First the good news. Despite the difficulties, especially of the financial markets, 2014 was “a record year for a lot of things” for global heavy equipment maker Caterpillar.Now the bad news. Hang onto your seats because despite some

Wacker Neuson reports strong performance in Q1 2015

May 13, 2015

Wacker Neuson’s strong financial performance of late is continuing, with good results posted for the first quarter of 2015. The Munich-based light and compact equipment manufacturer experienced strongest growth in the Americas region. Currency fluctuations had a significant positive impact on growth. The Group has confirmed its forecast for fiscal 2015. Revenue is 11% higher than for 2014 at €324.3 million compared with €291.6 million. This represents a record first quarter revenue for the company. “We have

New Vietnam beltway finds funding

May 11, 2015

Funding has been found for a new beltway project in Vietnam. The work will be financed jointly by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV). The two have signed agreements for loans worth close to US$160 million for the project. ADB will provide a $12.58 million loan to finance preparation works for Beltway No3 in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. In addition, ADB will provide an additional $147 millionn loan to complete the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway. The highway of 244km is part of the

Series of road and overpass projects for Myanmar

May 11, 2015

Two key projects will help boost road transportation in Myanmar. In Yangon, the regional government is to fund construction of an overpass located at Tamwe Junction. The move comes after the Japanese government declined to fund the works due to the high cost, expected to be in excess of US$120 million. In the 2015 to 2016 financial year, overpasses at Kokkaine Junction, Tamwe Junction and Eight-mile junction will be built. The Yangon regional government will fund the work with its budget of $20.66 million.

Northern Australia Beef Roads Fund to US$79m injection

May 11, 2015

The Australian government has pledged US$79 million to the Northern Australia Beef Roads Fund to upgrade roads used to transport cattle from farm gates to markets. The government’s cash injection has pleased many beef producers in northern Australia which supplies an estimated 90% of the country's cattle exports worth around $2.4 billion. Transportation costs can be up to 35% of a livestock's price because they sometimes must be transported several hundred kilometres to market, according to media repo

China Harbor Engineering picks up Brunei’s Muara Besar project

May 11, 2015

Brunei has awarded Chinese infrastructure construction company China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) the US$204 million Pulau Muara Besar Bridge, Road and Utilities project through an open tender. CHEC reportedly signed the deal with the Brunei Economic Development Board on May 6, according to Chinese media. Pulau Muara Besar is a 955ha island in Brunei Bay, immediately across from Brunei’s largest port town, Muara, on the mainland. The island is undergoing major infrastructure development including

Turkmenistan starts construction of Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi road

May 8, 2015

Turkmenistan has started construction of the 544km Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi highway under a public-private partnership contract. The deal is expected to cost between US$800-900 million for every 2km or so of road construction from Ashgabat in central Turkmenistan to Turkmenbashi, a city of around 90,000 on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. For a YouTube video graphic representation of the highway, click here. To see World Highways report onTurkmenistan’s highways projects in 2011, click here. Türkmenb

China: transportation in Guizhou province to be enhanced by 2018

May 8, 2015

Transportation infrastructure, including many roads, in three autonomous states in China's Guizhou province will be enhanced by 2018. The state of Qiandongnan, Qiannan and Qianxinan will get a new 1,150km highway as well as 634km of new rail line, including high-speed routes. The states will also be served by more air routes and get an expansion of Xingyi Wanfenglin airport as well construction of a new airport, Luodian. Meanwhile, in China's Anhui province, construction starts in June of the 39.25

Balfour Beatty in 10-year extension to Exeter-Bere Regis road deal

May 8, 2015

A Balfour Beatty joint venture with South West Highways has been awarded a €55 million 10-year extension to its contract for operations and maintenance on the 102km A30/A35 main Exeter to Bere Regis road. The contract is on behalf of Connect Roads for ultimate customer Highways England, the newly named government roads agency. The joint venture – SWHBBIS - was appointed as the operations and maintenance contractor for this stretch of the trunk road in 1996. In 2006, the joint venture was re-appointed

Kenya develops annuity road funding model

May 8, 2015

Kenya is introducing novel methods for funding its necessary road infrastructure development - Shem Oirere writes. Kenya has unveiled a new financing model for road construction and reviewed its design standards and construction methodologies, which forms part of a new strategy for the East African country. Under this new plan Kenya is planning to upgrade 10,000km of road, with these links featuring asphalt surfacing; the work being carried out over the next five years at a cost of US$2.8 billion. Despite t