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Nynas is investing nearly €2.7 million in new research and development facilities at the company's refinery in Nynäshamn. This investment forms part of the company's ongoing expansion in the world market for specialty oils. The new research and development lab is, in principle, a smaller version of Nynas' full-scale hydrogenation facility. Hydrogenation is one of Nynas' central processes, in which various oil distillates are purified from sulphur and aromatic hydrocarbons using hydrogen gas. Hydrogenation r

A very different road safety picture is emerging in two European nations, France and Germany. In France, the road fatality rate fell 4.7% for the month of June 2012, compared with the same period in the previous year. Some 320 people were killed on French roads in June 2012. In May 2012, the road death rate in France was only 0.9% lower than for the same period in the previous year. But in April 2012 the road death rate dropped 22.2% compared with 2011, 9% in March and 25.3% in February.

Tunnel workers have now connected the two bores for the new highway linking Albania with Kosovo. The 5.6km tunnel forms part of the Rreshen-Kalimash highway, which has so far cost Albania in excess of €1 billion.

Port connections and infrastructure will be improved in the Chinese city of Yichang, following completion of a series of projects now underway. The work is costing US$331 million and includes building six new roads and four new ports. The key road projects include the Houhe-Jietou tourist route and the Yafan-Baiyang road. The port projects include the expansion of Yichang passenger port and the first phase Baiyang industrial area port. The work is expected to improve the city’s infrastructure and boost its

In Spain the authorities in the Castilla y Leon region are planning to invest €1.21 billion in the construction of 15 highways up until 2020. As part of the project, procedures for building six of the highways should be put in place before the end of 2009. Some €104 million will be invested in 41km Leon-La Baneza highway; €142 million will be spent on two further motorways between Palencia and Paredes de Nava, and Palencia and Carrion de los Condes; a further project includes the last stretch of Segovia's r

Liebherr Group said an increase in trade with emergent markets fuelled an overall Group turnover rise of 9.8% to €8.33billion in 2011. And a Group spokesperson said they expect a further 10% turnover rise for the leading German construction machine manufacturer in 2012. Turnover from construction machinery and mining equipment recorded an above-average increase of 13.5 % in 2011, generating revenues of €5.38billion.

The National Road Infrastructure Agency (NRIA) in Bulgaria is to benefit from funding worth €255.7 million, which is being provided by the EU's operational programme for regional development. The money will be used for upgrades to 660km of second and third category roads. In addition, work on Bulgaria's Lyulin motorway is running to schedule and should be completed in 2012 as planned. The work is being financed by the EU and the first 5km stretch of the road is scheduled to open about now.

The German province of Baden-Württemberg has issued a list of 20 ready to be built federal trunk road projects worth a combined US$1.01billion (€800mn).The first five could be started in 2014 and the next five in 2015 or 2016.

The inquiry into plans to build a second bridge across the River Mersey is underway in the UK. When complete, the €490 million, 1km long Mersey Gateway toll crossing will link Runcorn and Widnes in County Cheshire to ease congestion on the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge. The plans for the six-lane bridge were submitted in 2008 and the crossing is expected to help create thousands of jobs. However opponents of the scheme claim that tolls planned for both bridges would cast an economic blight across the area

Ukraine’s Shulgin State Road Research Institute (DNDI) said US$32.65billion (UAH 264bn) needs to be spent on the country’s roads from 2013-2018. Within the overall figure, DNDI said US$13.22billion (UAH 108.3bn) should be allocated on maintenance and current repair, US$11.83billion (UAH 96.89bn) on construction and reconstruction of 2,200km of highways, and US$2.35billion (UAH 19.27bn) on overhaul.