Tag Archives: construction
Dubai set for massive facelift
Dubai set for massive facelift (Wam) / 3 October 2013 His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday inaugurated the Dubai Water Canal which will connect the Business Bay with the Arabian Gulf passing through the heart of Dubai at a total cost of about $2 billion. Dubai will also take another shot at a world record with the launch of the largest artificial lagoon which, when completed, will cover 40 hectares. The date of completion has not been announced by developer Crystal Lagoons, who said it will be four times bigger than the existing world’s largest artificial lagoon in Sharm El Shaikh resort in Egypt. Shaikh Mohammed with Shaikh Hamdan, Shaikh Maktoum, Lt-Gen Dhahi Khalfan Tamim and Mattar Al Tayer during the inauguration of the Dubai Water Canal on Wednesday. — Wam The Dubai crystalline lagoon project will be located in the up-scale Mohammed Bin Rashid City — District One residential community. The developer said the lagoon will form an integral part of the $7 billion community project. Wednesday’s Dubai Water Canal inauguration ceremony was attended by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; other Shaikhs and ministers. Courtesy: Youtube.com/Sheikhmohammed.ae Shaikh Mohammed was briefed about the state-of-the-art tourist and commercial project which offers a new lifestyle in the heart of Dubai and on both banks of the canal. He also reviewed the constituents of the project which stretches from the Business Bay up to the Arabian Gulf in a waterway stretching 3km in length and 80- 120 metres in width. The Canal crosses Shaikh Zayed Road (between Al Safa Interchange and the first interchange) and passes across Safa Park, Al Wasl Road, and Jumeirah 2 to terminate in the Arabian Gulf. All construction works of the project’s infrastructure, including drilling and building bridges, is set for completion in 2017. The canal will add 6km to Dubai’s waterfront, while the project will provide an area of over 80,000sqm dedicated to public places equipped with outstanding facilities that meet the expectations and requirements of visitors of all segments of society. The project encompasses new shop-ping and entertainment centres linked through a uniquely designed bridge, more than 450 new restaurants along with a wide array of luxurious marinas for yachts, and four world-class hotels. At the entrance of the project from Shaikh Zayed Road, an iconic Trade Centre will be constructed comprising four levels, including one underground level and three elevated levels linking the Business Bay with the project zone in a total area of more than 50,000 sqm. The development of the water-front will allow for the construction of deluxe residences and private marinas for boats along with pedestrian pathways, cycling tracks, together with fine business outlets, hotels and deluxe restaurants. The project will boost the position of the Jumeirah area as a premier and distinctive tourist destination in Dubai. The project is expected to attract 20 to 22 million visitors per annum. The ‘Dubai Water Canal’ will have a depth of six metres and bridges above it will rise more than eight metres, offering free navigation for deluxe yachts extending up to 200 feet. The canal will ensure the replenishment of water supplies in the entire Business Bay Canal automatically without any need for pumps. An extra flushing capacity will be added to the Dubai Creek when the canal is connected to the Business Bay, by approximately 250 million cubic metres per year. The total tidal water exchange through the canal is estimated to be around 800 million cubic metre per year, and the canal is anticipated to have a cooling effect, benchmarking to a similar project “Cheong Gye Cheon” man-made canal in Seoul, where the recorded thermal reduction reached -3.6 C. Explaining the project, Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said that due to the enormity of the project scale, it has been divided into three contracts. The first and the second cover building bridges over the canal linking with the key roads intercepting the canal course; which are Shaikh Zayed Road spanning eight lanes in each direction, and three lanes on each side of Al Wasl Road and Jumeirah Road. These crossings are constructed 8.5 metres above the water level, thus allowing for a round the clock free navigation in the canal. Al Tayer added that the third contract encompasses drilling and landscaping works as well as the construction of four pedestrian crossings. Four marine stations will be constructed to ease the mobility of the public and promote the public and tourist transport. The marine transit modes are expected to ferry more than six million passengers per annum, according to the marine transport plan in Dubai. Al Tayer added that the RTA will carry out several improvements on the key roads intersecting the canal as well as the surrounding areas such as Jumeirah and Al Safa neighbourhood, including the construction of roads alongside the canal to assist the mobility between those districts. As for pedestrians, a free and safe movement will be provided through three new pedestrian bridges across the canal in addition to footpaths on all the new main bridges passing over the canal. Moreover, tracks dedicated to practising light sports, such as jogging & cycling, will be constructed along both sides of the canal. Landscaping works will also be made in both sides of the canal including greens, benches, public relaxation areas, and various other facilities and tourist-oriented projects. Continue reading
Hungry China Wants To ‘Borrow’ Land From ‘Bread Basket’ Ukraine For 50 Years
Chinese plans to lease 5 percent of Ukraine’s total land to grow crops may be nothing more than a pipe dream. Ukrainian officials say they know nothing of the deal, reported in a Chinese newspaper over the weekend. The South China Morning Post reported China’s Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) had a 50-year plan for crop and pig farming, spanning over 9 percent of Ukraine’s arable land. Sergey Kasyanov, Chairman of KSG agro, explained the misunderstanding. China’s reported ‘land grab’ would include eastern territories near the Dnieper river, Kherson, and Crimea, well-known for its coastal beaches. “I don’t have any information on the subject, unfortunately. I know that Chinese companies occasionally show interest,” Igor Livin, the Chairman of the Association of the Ukrainian-Chinese Cooperation told Vesti 24. On Monday, the Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture and Food said China and Ukraine will become strategic partners. A Chinese-Ukrainian cooperation could help Kiev increase its international trade, while Beijing could reach its goal of becoming 95 percent self-sufficient in food. Ukraine is home to 45 million people and boasts a gross domestic product of $176 billion. China’s population accounts for about a fifth of the global population, with at 1.4 billion people living in the country. It is also the world’s second largest economy, with over 8 trillion in GDP. Land Grab Worldwide 115 million acres are leased to foreign investors. These countries are seeking greener pastures to grow crops in Congo, Sudan, Indonesia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Australia, according to the report. Land has made a comeback – from cattle, private ski resorts, hunting and fishing clubs, to the Maine coastline – for American entrepreneurs who prefer to take a stake in natural real estate to diversify and hedge their assets against the risky gold, oil, and stock prices. Continue reading
Bayer CropScience Steps Up Investment Plans
Bayer CropScience September 9, 2013 Bayer CropScience is on track to grow annual sales toward EUR 9 billion in 2013 and toward EUR 10 billion in 2015. “Since 2007 we have continuously expanded our business with record sales, and we are optimistic about the future development,” said Bayer CropScience CEO Liam Condon at the company’s annual press conference in Monheim, Germany. Against the background of strong demand for its products, the company is adding EUR 1 billion to its investment program, bringing total capital expenditures for the period 2013 to 2016 to approximately EUR 2.4 billion. As a result of the accelerated investment program, the production volume of key active ingredients for crop protection products is expected to increase significantly. “Many industries today are facing overproduction. At Bayer CropScience, we are in a completely different situation: A growing global population, changing diets and increasing weather volatility are affecting food supply and need to be addressed today,” said Condon. “Demand from farmers for our products is increasing so strongly that we’re significantly stepping up our supply chain capacity to serve farmers around the world with much needed innovative agricultural solutions,” added Liam Condon, describing the challenge: “About 900 million people remain hungry today and the world population is growing strongly. We need to raise agricultural productivity and at the same time advance sustainability in farming and ensure protection of the environment. We aim to achieve this by developing innovative solutions and services that can help agriculture to contribute to the healthy development of society.” About EUR 380 million investment in new glufosinate-ammonium plant in the United States One integral element of Bayer CropScience’s investment plans is the construction of a new plant in Mobile/Alabama for the production of the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium, marketed in the United States under the brand name Liberty. The start-up of the new plant is anticipated probably for the fourth quarter of 2015, in time for the 2016 growing season. “With about EUR 380 million earmarked for this new facility, this is the biggest single construction project in the history of Bayer CropScience,” said Condon. Along with capacity expansion projects currently under way at other sites, this new facility will contribute significantly to the company’s target of more than doubling global product supply for this important active ingredient. The increased production of Liberty will help to fight weed resistance, a key challenge for modern agriculture. Liberty is the only non-selective herbicide that controls weeds resistant to the most used herbicide, glyphosate. About 50 percent of the farmers in the USA have experienced weed resistance on their fields, and the situation is worsening further not only in the United States but also around the world. Bayer CropScience is addressing this problem with its unique expertise in R&D, the most diverse herbicide portfolio in the industry, diagnostics and monitoring, and by promoting an Integrated Weed Management (IWM) approach. IWM techniques such as crop rotation, the use of herbicides with different modes of action – glufosinate-ammonium being one of the cornerstones – and rotation of herbicide-tolerant traits help growers to manage or delay weed resistance, as no single strategy will be completely effective on its own. “Diversity is the key to sustainable agriculture,” stressed Condon. Expanding the Seeds business – building up strong positions in soybean and wheat In addition to the ramp-up of its supply chain capacity in Crop Protection, another element of the company’s growth plan is the implementation of its Seeds strategy. Bayer CropScience plans to further strengthen its position in established crops such as vegetables, rice, oilseed rape and cotton, and to build up significant market positions in soybean and wheat. “We are continuing to invest in our soybean business, for example through strategic acquisitions in Latin America, contributing to a fast and focused development of distinctive traits,” explained Condon, who highlighted the soybean cyst nematode trait currently under development at Bayer CropScience. He also announced the planned launch of the global Bayer CropScience soybean brand Credenz for late 2014 in North and South America. “Credenz soybean seeds will help us to deliver improved varieties to growers. It will offer future traits that could protect soybeans against specific insects, repel persistent attacks by nematodes, and make soybeans tolerant to the most effective herbicides,” said Condon. The company intends to significantly expand today’s soybean-related sales within the next decade. A second seed investment focus for the company is wheat, the world’s most important staple crop. Here, Bayer CropScience is building a leading global wheat breeding network, with the objective of developing high-yielding varieties adapted to local growing conditions. First varieties are expected to come to market in 2015. “Our business strategy is aimed at addressing the pressing challenges farmers are facing worldwide,” concluded Condon. “We will further strengthen both our CropProtection and our Seeds businesses, continue to sharpen our customer focus and foster innovation to strengthen our leading market position.” Continue reading
