Welcome to the ABCC NEWS webpage. Find here information about the ABCC, relevant articles to the promotion of bilateral trade and culture and highlights on business opportunities.

Sunday 30 January 2011

Infrastructure

CAF wins US$128mn Recife train tender


Consortium Guararapes, made up of Spain's CAF and its local branch CAF Brasil, has won a tender to supply electric trains for Brazil's Pernambuco state capital Recife, a spokesperson for urban rail company CBTU's tenders committee told BNamericas.

CAF won the contract with a bid of some 217mn reais (US$128mn), the spokesperson said. The ceiling price set for the competition was 276mn reais.

The only other competitor, Alstom Brasil, was disqualified for failing to meet the project's technical requirements. The company submitted an appeal that was later rejected by CBTU, according to the official.

CAF will provide 15 electric-driven trains to operate on Recife's metro system. Worth some 18.4mn reais each, the trains will be made up of four cars running on the 3,000V DC system with a 1,600mm gauge.

The project should take 45 months, which includes testing the trains. Once a service order is signed, the first train is scheduled to be delivered after 20 months, and the last one after 31 months, the CBTU spokesperson said.

The new trains are part of improvements to Recife's metro system as the city prepares to host the 2014 World Cup. The city is planning transport projects worth 1.3bn reais in preparation for the event.

Odebrecht due to complete Rio’s US$287 million cable car system by Feb 2011


The Rio Melhor consortium led by Brazilian engineering firm Construtora Norberto Odebrecht (CNO) should finish its 493mn-real (US$287mn) Complexo do Alemao cable car system in Rio de Janeiro by February, the city's engineering council (Crea-RJ) reported in a release.

After a brief halt in work due to Brazil's armed forces stand-off against local drug dealers, CNO, along with associated construction firms Construtora OAS and Delta Construçoes, have resumed work which originally started in April 2008.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva plans to attend an inauguration ceremony at the work site on December 21, ten days before he leaves office, news service Agencia Estado reported.

THE SYSTEM

The 3.5km Complexo do Alemao cable car system is designed to transport some 30,000 passengers a day. It will consist of six stations - Bonsucesso, Morro do Adeus, Baiana, Alemao, Itarare/Alvorada and Fazendinha.

The initiative also includes roadworks, the implementation of a water supply and sewerage collection system and the deployment of a drainage system for Canitar street, according to a Rio de Janeiro state government release.

Font: Latin America Daily Posted: December 13.

Maceio to receive US$59mn for PAC II urban infrastructure


Brazil's Alagoas state capital Maceio has obtained 99mn reais (US$58.7mn) in federal funding for urban infrastructure under phase II of the country's PAC growth acceleration plan, the city's planning secretary, Marzio Delmoni, told BNamericas.

"The investments approved by the cities ministry will be used for work such as paving, road embankment improvements and sanitation," Delmoni said.

One of the main projects will involve first-stage urbanization work near the coast between the neighborhoods of Bom Parto and Riacho do Silva. It is budgeted at 55.4mn reais.

At the same time, 3.5mn reais has been approved to carry out studies for stage III urbanization work in the Vale do Reginaldo neighborhood between Moenda and Rotary avenues, according to the official.

The project will cost 120mn reais overall, of which 60mn reais corresponds to infrastructure works.

Maceio will draw up more projects to be included in PAC II, as this is only the first set of works that have been approved, said Delmoni.

The cities ministry's selection process involves analyzing project studies, prioritizing proposals and carrying out technical interviews. Selected works will be coordinated by the state infrastructure and planning departments.

The projects will be financed through the federal budget, federal unemployment insurance fund FGTS and workers' support fund FAT.

By Daniel Bland / Business News Americas

Rio-Sao Paulo bullet train may cost US$24bn - expert – Brazil


Published: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 16:14 (GMT -0400)
Brazil's Rio-Sao Paulo-Campinas bullet train project could end up costing at least 40bn reais (US$24bn), the president of Sao Paulo's association of public works contractors (Apeop) Luciano Amadio Filho told BNamericas.

Apeop and a group of companies interested in building the high-speed train are planning to present a study to the federal government by the end of February, questioning the price of the project.

The group includes engineering firms such as Cartellone, Barbosa Mello, Encalso, Tejofran, CCI, Enterpa, Equipav, Aterpa, Cerpal, Estrutural, Construbase and Azevedo & Travessos. Apeop is also in talks with Spanish and French firms interested in joining the group.

The study, carried out by consultancy firm Deloitte in association with Apeop, reveals that the project could cost 30-40% more than the 33.1bn reais stipulated in the tender, according to Amadio Filho.

The report also calls into question the projected passenger demand of the project, which has been "overrated," Amadio Filho said. The group estimates demand could be up to 50% less than projected by the government.

The group has scheduled a meeting with national development bank BNDES in February to discuss the financial aspects of the bullet train. It is also in close contact with national ground transport agency ANTT, which is overseeing the tender.

Despite technical and financial concerns about the project, the Apeop president reiterated the association's support for the bullet train, adding that the country "cannot do without" a new means of transportation.

The train project involves building a 511km railroad, including 90.9km of tunnels and 103km of bridges and overpasses. ANTT will receive bids on April 11 and is due to award the project on April 29.