Construction Group News

The Brazilian administrative authority has suspended Italy's Saipem and its subsidiary Saipem do Brasil from contracting with the country's public administration for two years, the engineering and construction group said on Friday.The decision stems from the final ruling in the administrative proceedings initiated against the companies in relation to alleged irregularities in the award of a gas pipeline contract in 2011.The sanction has no impact on ongoing projects in Brazil, Saipem said, adding it would appeal the decision.In November, the Italian company said it had won two offshore contrac

A consortium of Saudi Archirodon and DEME has been awarded the second phase of transformation work for the Port of NEOM, the primary seaport of entry to northwest Saudi Arabia.Based in Oxagon, Port of NEOM is located along the coast of the Red Sea and is adjacent to the nearby Suez Canal, through which 13% of global trade passes. The port will be a critical enabler to the overall build, operations and economic ambitions of NEOM, facilitating the import of goods and materials during the development phase and as a new global port serving the region.The project will commence in December 2023.

Captain Constance Solina relieved Capt. Jeff Deviney as commander, Naval Construction Group (NCG) 2, during a change of command ceremony on July 7 to become the first woman to commanded an NCG and all Atlantic-based Seabees. (The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion".)Deviney, from Freer, Texas, led 4,500 personnel over the course of two years and oversaw their manning, training, and equipment readiness needs to ensure they deployed on time to five separate combatant commands.

AXIS Pipeline Construction Group and ST Engineering Halter Marine and Offshore shipyard have partnered to service the subsea fabrication and installation market. This newly forged partnership, combined with more than 40 years of subsea fabrication and installation management experience, provides innovative capabilities currently unavailable to the subsea installation market, the companies said.Located in Pascagoula, Miss., ST Engineering Halter Marine and Offshore (STEHMO) is a provider of services for ships, drilling rigs and other marine vessels within the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. STEHMO provides dry docking, upgrades, repair, conversion…

China will make a billion-dollar investment in the Brazilian port of Sao Luis via China Communications Construction Company, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources said the announcement will be made at the summit of leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the so-called BRICS group of emerging nations, who are meeting in the Brazilian capital for a two-day summit.The deal will be part of the largest foreign direct investment into Brazil this year, one of the sources said, without revealing any figures.Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said on Wednesday that Brazil is seeking closer integration with China…

Glosten announced the hiring of David DeVilbiss, who will join Glosten’s Marine Construction group as a Senior Marine Consultant.Formerly Vice President of Marine Casualty & Emergency Response at Global Diving & Salvage, Inc., DeVilbiss oversaw all marine casualty and emergency response operations throughout all operating regions. He brings over 25 years of marine industry experience ranging from vessels, marine infrastructure, and the oil and gas industry.DeVilbiss attended Le Tourneau University (Mechanical Engineering)…

ABB extends the power range of Azipod propulsion to enable ferry and RoPax operators improve operational efficiency and reduce emissionsSince its launch in 1990, Azipod electric propulsion has become the industry standard for a wide range of vessel segments ranging from smaller crafts to icebreakers capable of independently operating in the harshest conditions.In response to customer requests, ABB has filled the gap between the low and high-power range of Azipod propulsors with the launch of a new series available in 7.5-14.5MW.

Contracted by the Spanish construction group Cobra, Bourbon Subsea Services completed the installation of the first wind turbine at Cobra Wind’s Kincardine site, Scotland, off the coast of Aberdeen this summer.For Bourbon Subsea Services the delivery of the operational scope included towing the floater to Dundee, prelaying the four-leg mooring system and installing the fully assembled wind turbine on site, was optimized by taking advantage of the local supply chain.Bourbon project management team worked in close collaboration with the main contractor…

Italian shipbuilding and construction group Fincantieri SpA is the only bidder for shipping group STX France, a source close to the matter said on Tuesday. The sale of STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships in the western France city of Saint-Nazaire and is profitable, forms part of the broader sale of businesses from the collapsed STX shipbuilding group. A spokesman for a Korean court overseeing the process had said earlier on Tuesday that one bid had been received for the STX France business, without giving a name. A spokesman for the Seoul court overseeing STX Offshore's receivership had said in November that four parties had expressed interest in buying one or both of South Korea's STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co Ltd and a controlling stake in STX France.

Italy's state railway is expected to bid for its Greek counterpart TRAINOSE, but Russian Railways (RZD) is less likely to do so, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. Privatisations, a key part of Greece's international bailout agreements since 2010, have reaped just 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) so far, far short of the initial target of 50 billion euros, amid political resistance, bureaucratic problems and union opposition. Binding bids for Greece's railway network are due by 1400 GMT on Wednesday. Athens is selling TRAINOSE and maintenance company ROSCO to meet the terms of its latest EU/IMF deal signed last summer. It received non-binding expressions of interest in TRAINOSE from Italy's state railway, RZD and Greek construction group GEK-Terna in April.

Construction work on the Green Port Hull Alexandra Dock site is progressing well and is on schedule for an early 2017 completion, Associated British Ports (ABP) has announced. The 54-acre site, which ABP and its main contractor GRAHAM Lagan Construction Group Joint Venture (JV) are preparing for Siemens’ offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility, is being transformed in Hull’s biggest engineering project since the port was built. The enabling works undertaken by ABP and their contractors are worth £150 million. The dock infill has now been completed, with one million cubic metres of sand pumped into the dock to fill one third of the water area.

Danos announces the hiring of Marc Distefano, John Danos and Jack Roszelle to leadership positions with the company. “We welcome Marc, John and Jack to the Danos team,” said CEO and President Hank Danos. John Danos (no relation) serves as construction division general manager, working to develop a best practices foundation for the way Danos executes projects in conjunction with the company’s project management group. Prior to joining Danos, he held leadership positions at J. Ray McDermott, International Offshore Services, International Construction Group and Harvey Gulf International Marine. As fabrication operations manager of the Amelia facility, Marc Distefano is responsible for overall leadership of the facility and maintaining a culture of continuous improvement.

The consortium in charge of the expansion of the Panama Canal, led by Sacyr reported that the fissures presented in the third set of locks will not delay the opening date scheduled for April 2016. The Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), comprising the Sacyr Spanish and Italian Salini Impregilo, informed  Autoridfad Panama Canal (ACP), the authority that manages the waterway, that is repairing the gaps in the walls of the locks caused by lack of steel reinforcement, and ensure other structures preventively. "Cracks were detected in one of the walls," said a spokeswoman for the Spanish construction group Sacyr, lead member of the Grupo Unidos Por el Canal consortium responsible for the expansion project. The fissures were found on the canal's Pacific Locks, the spokeswoman added.

Plans for significant further expansion of Lerwick Harbour’s extensive deep-water facilities for the offshore oil and gas industry have advanced with the award of a major contract to extend the quay at Dales Voe South to support subsea developments and decommissioning. Lerwick Port Authority has commissioned the Scottish business unit of civil engineering contractor BAM Nuttall as main contractor for an £11.95 million investment to lengthen the quay to 130 metres. Part of the Dutch construction group Royal BAM, BAM Nuttall specialises in complex marine construction, with a strong track record working around Scotland and on the Western and Northern Isles.

Foster Wheeler AG announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract by ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA (“Esso”) for the Antwerp Northwest Europe Resid Upgrade Project – Revamp and Offsites facilities at the Esso Antwerp Refinery at Antwerp, Belgium. Foster Wheeler's contract value was not disclosed. A small initial release of work was included in the company’s first-quarter 2014 bookings. The full release of work was included in the company's second-quarter 2014 bookings. “After the successful completion by Foster Wheeler of the front-end engineering design for this project and for the new delayed coking unit that will be built at the same facility…

The “I Dig Long Beach” tree-planting project funded by a Port of Long Beach grant is doing more than greening neighborhoods and building community pride – it’s also providing a chance for local businesses to participate. When more than 100 people gathered on Saturday, September 20, at Los Cerritos Park in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach for the planting of 60 trees, they were joined by Port of Long Beach contractor Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate, who deployed one of its 2,500-gallon water trucks to assist with watering the saplings. Each of the young trees needs 15 gallons of water upon planting to ensure a healthy start and successful growth.

Foster Wheeler AG announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Power Group’s Environmental and Industrial division has been awarded a contract by Longview Power, LLC to rehabilitate and optimize the wet flue gas desulfurization system at their existing 700 MWe (net megawatt electric) Longview Power facility in Maidsville, West Virginia, USA. Foster Wheeler has received a full notice to proceed on this contract. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed, and the contract value will be included in the company’s third-quarter 2014 bookings. Foster Wheeler will provide new components as well as engineering and installation services to optimize the performance of the existing dewatering and forced oxidation systems with the fuel currently being used by Longview.

Foster Wheeler AG announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has entered into a Collaboration Agreement with ZeoGas LLC. In the first instance, Foster Wheeler will support ZeoGas’ final site selection and project planning towards the development of ZeoGas’ first fuels manufacturing plant, to be located on the US Gulf Coast. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed, and the contract value for an initial release of work related to the development of a cost estimate and assistance in final site selection and due diligence will be included in the company’s third-quarter 2014 bookings. Further bookings will be made as work is released by ZeoGas.

Two of China's largest port operators and engineering firms have agreed to invest in a $601 million terminal in Sri Lanka's Hambantota port, part of a series of deals signed during a visit by President Xi Jinping to the island nation. Keen to establish its presence in the Indian Ocean, China has spent millions of dollars building ports and roads across the region in a strategy dubbed the String of Pearls. China Merchants Holdings said in a statement late on Tuesday that it and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Group , had entered a joint venture with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority to develop and operate a container terminal for the Hambantota Port Development.

Foster Wheeler AG (Nasdaq:FWLT) announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group, in joint venture with Taknia Libya Engineering Company (Taknia), has been awarded a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract by Nafusah Oil Operations B.V. Libyan Branch for an onshore oilfield development, known as the Area 47 Development Project in Libya. Area 47 (North Hamada Field) is located in the Hamada region, approximately 200 km south of Tripoli, in the Ghadames Basin. The Foster Wheeler contract value was not disclosed and will be included in the company’s second-quarter 2014 bookings. The planned development will consist of approximately 34 producing wells…

Foster Wheeler AG (Nasdaq:FWLT) announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a contract by Glencore Oil Projects AG for the engineering and material supply of a steam reformer heater for hydrogen production for the Orsknefteorgsyntez Refinery at Orsk, Russia. The value of Foster Wheeler’s contract was not disclosed and was included in the company’s first-quarter 2014 bookings. The heater will be based on Foster Wheeler's Terrace WallTM design. Foster Wheeler’s scope of work is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2015. This latest award follows Glencore’s award to Foster Wheeler of a Terrace WallTM visbreaker heater for this refinery in 2013.

Foster Wheeler AG announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has signed an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) services agreement with BOC, a member of the Linde Group, for the installation of replacement heat exchangers at BOC’s Teesport facility, Teesside, in northeast England. The Foster Wheeler contract value was not disclosed and was included in the company’s first-quarter 2014 bookings. Under this agreement, Foster Wheeler will provide project management, front-end engineering design, detailed engineering design, procurement services, construction supervision and quality assurance for the replacement of existing aluminium plate fin exchangers in the 1,300 tons per day air separation plant.

Foster Wheeler AG (Nasdaq: FWLT) announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Power Group has been awarded a contract by Turun Seudun Energiantuotanto Oy (TSE) for the design, supply and erection of a retrofit-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system for TSE’s Naantali unit 3 in Finland. Foster Wheeler has received a full notice to proceed on this contract. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed, and the contract value will be included in the company’s bookings for the second-quarter of 2014. Commercial operation of the SCR system is scheduled for October 2015. Foster Wheeler will design, supply, erect and commission the selective catalytic NOx reduction system for the Naantali 125 MWe pulverized coal fired boiler (unit 3).