Transport

Swedish truck maker Volvo lands largest ever contract in Africa

africasc_admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:47:24 -0600

The $ 142 million truck contract from Alamoudi's cement company in Ethiopia is a clear indication that the country's economy is on a high growth path. Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa at present.

Other boom countries for the transport- and construction industries in Africa are Angola, the host of the African Nations Cup, and Tanzania.

Kapsch TrafficCom wins ZAR 1.1 billion contract - ends string of Swedish tender losses in South Africa

africasc_admin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:25:57 -0500

Jönköping based Kapsch TrafficCom AB, a subsidiary of Vienna listed Kapsch AG, has been awarded a contract to install and operate the Gauteng province’s new free flow toll system as lead partner in the South African toll road consortium Electronic Toll Collection joint venture (ETC). The value of the installation part of the ground breaking contract is ZAR 1.16billion (SEK 1.03 billion).

The contract, awarded by the South African National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL), is the first free flow system in South Africa and the first SA Government tender worth more than ZAR 1 billion awarded to a Swedish based company since the awarding of the Gripen jetfighters ten years ago.

Kapsch TrafficCom AB, formerly a Saab subsidiary, has partnered with South African’sTMT and sub-suppliers, thereby strengthening its local footprint and Black Economic Empowerment credentials, to win the tender for the new electronic toll collection system. The consortium had a considerably lower bid than the main competitors from France/Spain and Italy.

"The new electronic toll collection system will be a multi-lane free flow tolling system, meaning that cars will not have to stop at tollbooths in order to pay the fee. Traffic managment through road charges, especially Free flow, helps lower emissions and be climate friendly", says Kjell Arnesson, Vice President for Business Development at Kapsch TrafficCom AB, who has worked for three years to win this contract.

The tolling system will be up and running in 18 months, though some of the new broadend roads and off ramps will be used for free already next year ahead of South Africa’s hosting of the Fifa World Cup.

For the Gauteng province’s sometimes frustrated commuter community the additional lanes, financed by the free flow tolling system, will ease the ever growing traffic, not the least between Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Besides the Johannesburg-Pretoria route a number of other roads such as N3, N12 and R21, will also benefit from the Swedish developed free flow tolling technology after the World Cup has been staged.

The local partner, TMT, is a specialist in enforcement of traffic violations and was therefore seen as a perfect match to Kapsch. TMT holds 35 % in the joint venture while Kapsch TrafficCom AB holds 40 % and the Austrian principal Kapsch AG has the remaining 25 %.

This so called Build, Operate contract - covering 180 kilometres of roads - will run for an initial eight years before operations will be re-tendered or handed over to the South African road authority.

Kapsch TrafficCom AB has been represented in South Africa for the past 10 years, and has installed conventional toll projects at Marienhill Plaza in Durban and the Huguenot Toll Plaza in Paarl. The Gauteng contract is however by far the largest order in South Africa to date. Kapsch TrafficCom have delivered similarily large contracts to Australia and Chile before.

The new contract is good news for Sweden, which has lost out on other contracts, and the city of Jönköping, in the south of Sweden, where Kapsch TrafficCom’s technology development center is based.

The new free flow system is also good news for the environment as better traffic flows will lower emission levels. Collective commuting will also be incentivized and monitored.

The Stockholm based consultancy Rud Pedersen Global Affairs Company, a specialist in African and South Asian business and politics, has been Kapsch TrafficCom's public affairs advisers in South Africa.

Alfa Laval offers key to unlock Namibia's uranium mining

africasc_admin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:54:48 -0500

Swedish industrial technology company Alfa Laval believes it has a clear cut case on how to contribute to lower emissions by helping Namibia to step up its uranium production for nuclear power use dramatically.

The Alfa Laval process would, states the company together with the Namibian company (project owner), will contribute in solving the problem with potable water in Namibia and generate necessary energy in the process.

The company could invest € 25-30 million in the uranium project in Namibia if the client’s own investment plans are cleared.

That way uranium mining in Namibia’s desert areas would become possible and profitable. In particular during times of high uranium prices.

It is more than just a nice idea. A potential client is carrying out a feasibility study on two mining sites in Namibia and a successful outcome would open up for financing.

Alfa Laval presented its case, a combined energy recovery and sea water desalination process, during a Swedish Trade Delegation visit to Namibia earlier this month.

The overall shortage of water is, together with energy, the main obstacle to overcome before Namibia’s uranium production can move up a gear.

Namibia's uranium potential, states an industry sources, could increase the country’s GDP by as much as 20-30 percent.

Namibia in 2007 produced close to 3000 tonnes of uranium, or around 8 percent of the world output. The country could up a gear or two if technology issues could be solved.

The export income would also make the countries own nuclear power ambitions a reality. Namibia presently imports most of its energy from South Africa’s largely coal based power plants.

The way the Alfa Laval desalination process works is that heat exchangers will transform steam from sea or brackish water into pure distilled water. While there are other competitive technologies, Alfa Laval’s titanium plate based technology has shown to be less costly when compared with RO technology in areas where waste heat is available, the company points out that operating and maintenance costs are lower and that it therefore is a cost-effective solution.

Another advantage states an Alfa Laval official, is that the technology is proven and works. The company has delivered desalinization plants to Brazil, Saudi-Arabia, Pakistan and Indonesia.

Kapsch-TrafficCom a step closer to win landmark tender

africasc_admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:55:00 -0500

Jönkoping based Kapsch TrafficCom AB has been shortlisted and the signs are good that the company will pass the post and can then become the first Swedish company in ten years to win a multi-billion rand tender from the South African government. The decision on the BOT contract is imminent, depending on if all regulatory issues have been adhered to in the decision.

Kapsch TrafficCom has partnered with a South African Black Economic
Empowerment partner to win the tender for the new electronic toll collection
system the country’s national roads authority SANRAL wants to install. Another partner, South African toll road operator Tolcon is part of the tender, where the main competitors are from France/Spain and Italy.

The new electronic toll collection system will be a modern one – an open
road tolling system, meaning that cars will not have to stop at toll booths
in order to pay the fee.

The local partner, TMT, is a local specialist in enforcement of traffic
violations.

The BOT contract will run for eight years before it will be handed over to
the authorities.

Kapsch TrafficCom AB has been operating in South Africa for the past 10
years, and has during that time, among other things, installed smaller toll
projects in Durban and Cape Town.

Kapsch-TraffiCom a step closer to win landmark tender in South Africa

africasc_admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:27:00 -0500

JOHANNESBURG. Jönkoping based Kapsch TrafficCom AB has been shortlisted and the signs are good that the company will pass the post and become the first Swedish company in ten years to win a multi-billion rand tender from the South African government. The decision on the BOT contract is imminent, depending on if all regulatory issues have been adhered to in the decision.

Kapsch TrafficCom has partnered with a South African Black Economic Empowerment partner to win the tender for the new electronic toll collection system the country’s national roads authority SANRAL wants to install. Another partner, South African toll road operator Tolcon is part of the tender, where the main competitors are from Spain and Italy.

The new electronic toll collection system will be a modern one – an open road tolling system, meaning that cars will not have to stop at toll booths in order to pay the fee.

The local partner, TMT, is a local specialist in enforcement of traffic violations.

The BOT contract will run for eight years before it will be handed over to the authorities.

Kapsch TrafficCom AB has been operating in South Africa for the past 10 years, and has during that time, among other things, installed smaller toll projects in Durban and Cape Town.

With a seven percent growth in the traffic volumes per annum in South Africa's roads the winner of the tender is expected to claw back and make a very handsome profit by the time the BOT contract expires.

Swedish co hopes to toll SA drivers

africasc_admin — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 11:42:52 -0500

JOHANNESBURG. A Swedish company has just thrown its hat in the ring for a contract to build an electronic toll-collection system in South Africa – a system that will collect money from drivers to finance the already ongoing Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. Kapsch TrafficCom AB is one of three companies which qualified to bid for the project.

Based in Jönköping, Sweden, Kapsch TrafficCom AB is part of the Austrian telecom group Kapsch AG. The Swedish company is overseeing the South African market.

Scania delivers trucks to Angola

africasc_admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:45:54 -0600

JOHANNESBURG. Swedish Scania has completed its largest bus and coach transaction to date in Angola, selling 250 intercity coaches. The coaches will provide service between major cities and play a key role in improving the efficiency of scheduled transport in Angola, according to the company.

The decisive factor behind choosing Scania was strong confidence in the company as a supplier of a complete transport solution, the company said.

“We see a big market potential for Scania in Angola, and this sale is proof of it,” says Mathias Carlbaum, Sales and Marketing Director at Scania Latin America. “Our aim is to increase Scania’s presence in the country both in the bus-coach and truck segments as well as service.”

Sweden buys SA armored vehicles

africasc_admin — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:50:51 -0600

JOHANNESBURG. The Swedish army has ordered 60 more RG32M light-armoured vehicles from South Africa’s BAE Systems Land Systems, confirms company spokesperson Mike Sweeney. That’s in addition to the 200 vehicles Sweden bought ealier.

Skeptics have argued that Sweden’s choice of South African combat vehicles has less to do with their suitability and more to do with South Africa’s order of Sweden Gripen fighter planes, during the controversial arms deal.

But the Swedes who also considered the US Humvee opted for the South African vehicle because of its cross-country performance, among other qualities, the company says. “The RG32M provides a very good combination of mine protection and cross-country mobility - attributes which can be mutually exclusive,” says Sweeney.

The RG32M is a 4x4 light armoured vehicle with a crew of 5 to 7 and a basic combat weight of about 7 300 kg.

The all-steel, welded armour, monocoque hull protects the crew against small arms fire, grenades, anti-personnel mines and land mine detonations under any wheel. The engine and other key components are also protected against small arms fire and shrapnel.

The RG32M is constructed from automotive sub-assemblies that are commercial off-the-shelf items. This provides significant benefits in cost-effectiveness, reliability and worldwide supportability.
The RG32M has various military and non-military applications to fulfill a wide spectrum of command, liaison, scouting, patrol and peacekeeping roles.

For more than three decades, Land Systems South Africa has been the globally recognized leader in the design, development and manufacture of combat and operationally-proven mine protected armoured vehicles, according to the company.

Land Systems South Africa is a South African company, jointly owned by BAE Systems (75%) and the South African Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Group, DGD Technologies (2001) Pty Ltd (25%).

Since BAE Systems entered the South African market in 1994, its business in the territory rapidly developed and the country has emerged as a home market for BAE Systems.

The business in South Africa comprises of two components: Land Systems South Africa (with two divisions, Land Systems OMC and Land Systems Gear Ratio) and BAE Systems Gripen Overseas (Ltd) (which comprises the Hawk & Gripen programmes, an associated Industrial Participation (offset) unit and various investments).

Sweden deploys ships to Somalia

africasc_admin — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:45:53 -0600

JOHANNESBURG. The Swedish government is expected soon to endorse Sweden’s participation in Operation Atalanta which is being launched by the EU on the basis of a UN mandate to protect the UN’s food aid consignments being shipped to Somalia. The Swedish Navy will contribute its International Corvette Force consisting of the corvettes Stockholm and Malmö together with the support vessel Trossö and their 150 crew members.

The Swedish contribution will be for a period of four months and the force is expected to be in place at the earliest by April next year. The cost of the operation is estimated to be about SEK 200 million. The corvettes will complement the larger warships taking part.

“Operation Atalanta means that the Swedish Navy, for the third time since 2007, will be deploying standby units on international service. Last year a corvette was on duty with UNIFIL off the coast of Lebanon and our international amphibious force has just now completed its operations in Chad,” says the Naval Inspector, Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad.

The operation will be under British command and is intended to provide protection for the World Food Program’s shipments of food aid to the suffering population in Somalia. The western world also has a strong self-interest in ensuring the continued functioning of the trade flows in the region.
Around 15 EU countries will be making similar contributions and the first vessels are due to be on station in the area by the beginning of December.

The Swedish Armed Forces are now recruiting seamen for service afloat. In the first instance these recruits will serve on board the corvettes Stockholm and Malmö but also on the corvette Visby. Standby crew members for the support vessel HMS Trossö are also being recruited.

New Sweden-SA shipping route

africasc_admin — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:00:57 -0500

In November, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics will start a new shipping route between Gothenburg and Australia - via South Africa. The company will mainly carry cars, trucks and construction machines.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) is one of the world's largest ocean transport and logistics companies. The company has around 65 vessels operating throughout the world.

WWL already has a direct route between the Port of Gothenburg and the USA. Traffic is now being expanded with a further route between Gothenburg and Australia via South Africa. The rotation will be Gothenburg - Bremerhaven (Germany) - Zeebrugge (Belgium) - Le Havre (France) - Southampton (UK) - Port Elizabeth (South Africa) - East London (South Africa) - Durban (South Africa) and then on to the Australian port of Fremantle, Melbourne, Port Kembla and Brisbane.

With the new route the transport time from Sweden to Australia will be cut by 3-6 days.

WWL previously had a direct route between Gothenburg and Australia but this has not been in use since 2002. Traffic is now being resumed and the vessels will carry mainly cars and other vehicles from Sweden to South Africa and Australia.

Direct sea traffic between Sweden and other parts of the world is important for Swedish industry as it keeps down transport costs and is quicker than if the goods need to be reloaded at one of the ports on the continent. With the new route the Port of Gothenburg has six direct routes to ports outside Europe - two to the Far East, two to North America, one to Central America and now one to Australia via South Africa.

"I find it heartening that WWL, which is a world-leading shipping company, has chosen to invest in direct traffic between Gothenburg and Australia. WWL is one of our most loyal customers - the company has made use of our services since 1911," says Magnus Kårestedt, CEO of the Port of Gothenburg.

The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic region and the only port in Sweden with the capacity to receive the largest container vessels with a direct link to other continents. The Port of Gothenburg is also one of the leading vehicle ports in the Nordic region. Last year 328,000 vehicles were handled at the port. A large proportion of Sweden's imports and exports pass through the Port of Gothenburg. To keep down logistics costs it is vital for Swedish industry to have a major international port in the country.