The Big Picture

01 UNITED STATES NineDot launches New York’s first battery energy storage system

NineDot has delivered New York’s first battery energy storage system (BESS). Located in the Bronx, New York City, it features a 12.32MWh (megawatt-hours) Tesla Megapack system, a solar canopy, and infrastructure ready for bi-directional electric vehicle chargers. The site is described as “a model for how to develop future urban clean energy projects”.

The project supports the company’s goal of delivering 400MW of clean energy systems by 2026 that strengthen the local power grid and provide stable, reliable power.

04 SWITZERLAND Leica Geosystems launches safety awareness solution for construction sites

Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, has launched a new safety awareness solution designed to increase safety on construction sites by collecting and visualising data that enhances awareness, speeds up hazard response and provides better insights.

Through its new safety awareness module in the cloud-based collaboration platform Leica ConX field-generated safety data will be integrated into the platform allowing decision makers to review incidents and assess the entire operation over time and space.

02 UNITED STATES WiredScore appoints John Hillard to lead Middle East expansion

WiredScore, the organisation behind the WiredScore and SmartScore certifications – the internationally recognised digital connectivity and smart building rating systems for real estate, has announced the appointment of John Hillard to lead its expansion into the Middle East.

In a statement, the company said that Hillard will form an integral part of WiredScore’s wider offering to Middle Eastern real estate developers, landlords, and asset managers in enabling digital connectivity, bolstering the regional real estate sector.

03 MEXICO Epiroc completes acquisition of RNP México

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Mining and infrastructure productivity partner Epiroc has completed its acquisition of RNP México, a manufacturer of rock drills and related spare parts.

RNP México is based in San Luis Potosi state, Mexico, and has branches in Chile and Peru; it is said to employ 370 people and had 2021 revenues of approximately $28mn. The company develops, manufactures, and sells rock drills and related components, serving mining and construction customers mainly in Latin America.

05 KAZAKHSTAN Nur Sultan Grand Mosque in Kazakhstan opens for visitors

Nur Sultan Grand Mosque in Kazakhstan is now open for visitors in Nur Sultan, the capital of the Central Asian country.

Designed by Dewan Architects + Engineers, the mosque has a closed area of 68,060sqm and an open courtyard of 6,300sqm. It is located on approximately 10.3ha of land and has a 63m diameter and 83m high dome. There are a total of 73 domes and four minarets of 130m height.

The mosque will be one of the largest in Central Asia, with space for 30,000 people in its prayer area.

06 INDIA CASE produces 50,000th backhoe loader at Madhya Pradesh facility

CASE Construction Equipment, a brand of CNH Industrial, has produced its 50,000th backhoe loader, from its facility in the district of Madhya Pradesh in India, the manufacturer has revealed.

Built in 1989, the CNH Industrial plant in the town of Pithampur, has been manufacturing a range of construction equipment including backhoe loaders, compactors and crawler-excavators.

CNH Industrial also has a significant Research and Development facility at Pithampur.

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07 INDIA Gujarat tenders for 1,000MWh BESS project

Tendering for 500MW/1,000MWh standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) has begun, driven by the electricity board of the Indian state of Gujarat.

Electricity market regulation board Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL) issued a Request for Selection (RfS) document for what is billed as a new pilot project. This follows a previous tender for a separate 500MW renewable project also featuring energy storage systems.

GUVNL is the holding company for the state-owned generation, transmission, and distribution companies.

08 CHINA SANY marks overseas launch of first lighthouse factory in China’s construction machinery sector

SANY has manufactured its first excavator in Indonesia marking the overseas launch of the first lighthouse factory in the Chinese construction machinery industry.

Located 70 kilometres away from the capital city of Jakarta, the SY315CKD was produced at a 10,000-square-metre plant in KIM Industrial Park with a total investment of nearly $30 million. The plant will mostly supply the SEAsia market while the planned annual production of the model is 3,000 units.

09 SOUTH KOREA SeAH Group and Aramco set up specialised steel project

South Korea’s SeAH Group has set up a joint venture (JV) with Saudi Aramco, to produce special steel pipes.

The JV will accelerate the expansion of the group in the Middle East. SeAH Changwon Integrated Special Steel Corp, the group’s special steel maker, will be involved in the project, which will be established in King Salman Energy Park (SPARK). The factory will have an annual capacity of 17,000 tons. Construction work will commence in the fourth quarter of 2022.