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linking up Combining strengths
NeWS
Combining strengths
Fortum has signed an agreement to sell its district heating business in Joensuu, Finland to Savon Voima Oyj. “The Joensuu district heating business is centred around the highly efficient and modern combined heat and power plant. The business transformation to lower carbon intensity has largely been done and the detailed plans for further decar-
Korea’s gS E&c Takes over uK building pods Supplier
South Korean construction giant GS Engineering & Construction (GS E&C) has acquired a “significant shareholding” in UK-based modular building and bathroom pod manufacturer Elements Europe.
S E&C said that the investment came as part of its commitment to expansion and rapid upscaling of Element Europe’s existing capacity. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
In addition to student accommodation and hotels, Elements Europe has a large presence in off-site residential construction and the company says that it has delivered over 500 apartments recently including two 23-storey residential tower blocks in the London area. “We are excited to invest into Elements Europe, they have 15 years of experience and a track record of delivery. Added to that, they have built a successful platform and invested heavily into the development of their products, technology, design processes and people in order to support rapid expansion plans,“ said Mr. Yoon-Hong Huh, President of GS E&C. Visit: www.gs.co.kr/en
bonisation have been prepared. The divestment raised large interest among buyers and provided a great opportunity for us to sell the business to a reliable company with the ambition to further develop the business locally in Joensuu.
“In line with our strategy, this is an excellent opportunity to extend our core district heating business to the Joensuu network in close vicinity to our existing networks. We value the solid fundamentals of the asset and see potential in further developing it along with the existing team, including continuing the peatto-bio conversion of the Joensuu district heating business according to the plans laid out by Fortum,” says Arto Sutinen, CEO of Savon Voima Oyj. Visit: www.fortum.com
EasyJet Partner Wright Electric To Develop Electric Aircraft Engine
uK-based budget airline easyJet is moving a step closer towards commercial electric air travel for short-haul routes following the announcement that its partner company, Wright electric, is developing engines for its electric narrow-body aircraft. Wright electric says it is working on creating electrical systems that are big enough for a 186-seat electric aircraft and a 1.5 mW electric motor. easyJet is hoping for electric planes to fly routes of around 500 km (310 miles), which would mean the aircraft could be used on flights from london to Amsterdam, the second-busiest air route in europe.
The low-cost airline partnered with uS start-up Wright electric in 2017 to look at the possibilities of short-haul electric commercial flights. Wright has said it wants to conduct onthe-ground motor tests by next year, and flight tests by 2023. Visit: www.easyjet.com
LINKINGup
Wärtsilä & CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company Limited to jointly develop hybrid vessels for the future
The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a strategic development agreement with Chinese state-owned shipbuilder CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company Limited Huangpu Wenchong. The five year agreement is aimed at the joint development of a hybrid powered dredger, but could possibly extend to other hybrid vessels as well.
The purpose of the agreement is to build a cooperation framework and working mechanism for the research and development of hybrid power systems. Wärtsilä will support Huangpu Wenchong during the design and construction phases with technology innovations, system selection, performance calculations, and longterm services.
“Collaboration with industry partners is at the very core of Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine approach to raising efficiencies, and eliminating waste throughout the shipping sector. This is one more example of this philosophy, and we look forward to cooperating with Huangpu Wenchong to create hybrid powered vessels that will benefit the industry by lowering costs, and benefit the planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” says Henrik Wilhelms, Director Offshore and Special Vessels at Wärtsilä. Visit: www.wartsila.com
strategic partnership for compressor solutions at sea
Sauer Compressors and TMC are entering into a strategic partnership to further expand their market position as suppliers for compressor solutions for worldwide shipping and offshore applications. In the future, they will cover the entire product portfolio for all compressed air and gas applications at sea.
With their new partnership, the two companies combine their strengths: the German medium-sized Sauer Compressors group as the world’s leading supplier of starting air compressors and the Norwegian manufacturer TMC, a leading supplier of screw compressors in the maritime sector. For the various compressed air and gas applications on board sea-going vessels, both compressor types are required in many cases and are now available from a single source. “TMC and Sauer will continue to offer our respective products on a stand-alone basis, but this agreement enables us to cooperate more closely and cost-effectively, which could be highly beneficial for both yards and shipowners. We are delighted to team up with Sauer Compressors and its renowned range of German-engineered piston compressors,” emphasises Per Kjellin, CEO of TMC.
Harald Schulz, Managing Director of Sauer Compressors, adds, “Customers can now approach one contact person who has all the technical expertise. The combined portfolio enables very fast and efficient order processing.” Visit: www.sauercompressors.com
K+S to work with Spacenus to deliver precision farming
K+S and Spacenus, a start-up company based in Darmstadt, have agreed to work closely together in developing digital technology in the area of precision farming The Agricultural Nutrient Assistant (ANA) from Spacenus is designed to support farmers in fertilizing plants by using a smartphone to detect a plant’s nutrient deficiency at an early stage:
ANA combines smartphone and satellite images to indicate the current nutrient supply of cultivated plants. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used, which evaluates satellite images and calculates differences within a field generating a nutrient map.
“In K+S, we have found a particularly strong cooperation partner. our visions with regard to more efficient fertilization in agriculture are a perfect match. The development of our algorithms is being significantly advanced by K+S and its partner institute IAPN,” says lionel Born, co-founder of Spacenus GmbH.
