Finance & Funding

The Serbian Government is preparing its plans for a programme of transport infrastructure improvements and upgrades. According to the country’s Ministry of Transport, the work is desperately needed to improve Serbia’s dilapidated transport infrastructure. The poor state of the country’s transport network is said to cost the country’s economy some €500 million/year, as well as resulting in an excessive number of road deaths and injuries. Serbian highway company Putevi Srbije is currently working on improvem

A new programme of works in Chile will see major maintenance being carried out on the country’s extensive network of secondary roads. The plans have been set out by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) and the works will be offered under a new concession framework that is planned to be announced in the first quarter of 2014. The works will require up to 30% of the MOP's annual budget, some US$594 million. Meanwhile MOP has also signed a deal with the highway operator Autopista de Aconcagua. This will see upgr

A major programme of investment looks set to add new road and highway links to Mexico’s network. The Ministry of Communications and Transport (SCT) has announced planned investments of some US$5.39 billion in several projects in the states of Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacan and Oaxaca. The 70 projects include 32 road and 14 motorway projects, as well as the expansion of six ports. In addition, the new Las Armas distribution road that will connect the State of Mexico and Mexico city has been inaugurated. The fi

A Danish company, Femern, is submitting documents for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, an immersed tunnel that will connect Germany with Denmark. The project is expected to cost in the order of €5.5 billion to construct. An 18km immersed tunnel will link the islands of Fehmarn and Lolland. Fehmarn Island is already connected with Northern Germany’s mainland by a bridge, while Lolland is already connected by a tunnel and bridges with Zealand, a link that runs via the island of Falster

Two major highway concessions are being opened for tender in Brazil. The deals are for two, 30-year concessions worth some US$5.43 billion. The tenders cover the widening, maintenance and operation of some 2.028km of highways. The tender process is being handled by Brazil's national ground transport agency, ANTT. The largest tender is for 1,177km of highway and including BR-060, BR-153 and BR-262.

Zoomlion is looking to continue its strong growth, having expanded through a series of acquisitions as well as through organic growth. And with its strong base there is a potential for future acquisitions to come. Zhang Jianguo is senior president of Zoomlion’s overseas division and explained that the firm’s financial packages offered to customers have been helpful in building its Chinese market share. He said, “Zoomlion has made great progress in financial solutions.”

A report published by HSBC suggests that global infrastructure-related trade growth will double worldwide economic expansion and will triple in size by 2030. The report also suggests that Brazil and Mexico will drive the rise in imports and exports of infrastructure-related goods in Latin America, according to Business News Americas. HSBC said that between 2013 and 2030, infrastructure-related trade looks set to grow at an average of 9%/year. It will also see a rise in its share of overall merchandise trade

In Brazil the tender process is opening for the BR-060 highway. The BR-060 highway will be a substantial project as this is a 1,176km route connecting Brasilia with Goiania. The deal also includes the BR-153 and BR-262. Some 45% of the route with be dualled. Other highway tenders being opened shortly will be for the BR-163 and BR-040.