Airbus ends talks on site sales
The News Review:
- Airbus ends talks on site sales
- ‘Eskom won’t overtax plants’
- Group asks judge to force DEP to yank plant’s permit
- Ford’s Essex workforce expected to be unaffected by Tata deal
- Minda group’s renewed international aspiration
Airbus ends talks on site sales
BBC News – Mar 27, 2008
The airline maker part of pan-European group EADS first announced the proposal to sell the sites in December as part of its restructuring plans. It wanted to sell off the factories but continue to source from them. Airbus added that talks continue over a partial sale of its Filton plant in the UK and the future of two French sites. ‘Difficult conditions’Airbus said it had ended talks with the HB and MT Aerospace consortium over the sale of the three German factories in Nordenham Varel and Augsburg “since a viable industrial and financial solution was not achievable”… verall the six plants concerned employ a total of 9400 workers. The facility at Filton in Bristol has two main tasks – design engineering and manufacturing and assembling wing components. It is only the manufacturing part – which employs 1800 people about a quarter of the total workforce – that Airbus wishes to sell. Airbus first announced its major restructuring plan in February 2007. The plan aims to save 5bn euros ($7.
‘Eskom won’t overtax plants’
Independent nline – Mar 27, 2008
The state power utility has introduced stringent controls for its generating plants to be operated within their design capability limits he said in a written reply to a question in the National Assembly on Thursday. These were monitored continuously and also audited on a regular basis. “The plant is therefore operated within specified hours of operation but the load factors during such periods are higher” he said in response to Manie van Dyk of the Democratic Alliance. As a result of Eskom’s lower reserve margin power stations had to be operated at higher load factors… The state power utility has introduced stringent controls for its generating plants to be operated within their design capability limits he said in a written reply to a question in the National Assembly on Thursday. These were monitored continuously and also audited on a regular basis. “The plant is therefore operated within specified hours of operation but the load factors during such periods are higher” he said in response to Manie van Dyk of the Democratic Alliance. As a result of Eskom’s lower reserve margin power stations had to be operated at higher load factors. Hence the stringent controls for its generating plants to be operated within their design capability limits. However technical faults could never be completely avoided in the operation of a power system and pro-active steps were therefore necessary to minimise risks he said.
Group asks judge to force DEP to yank plant’s permit
Daily Mail – Charleston – Mar 27, 2008
The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Kanawha County Circuit Court seeking to force the state Department of Environmental Protection to revoke the permit. Western Greenbrier Co-Generation is trying to build the 98-megawatt electric plant in Rainelle. The plant would serve as a demonstration project by using coal waste or gob for fuel. It also would make cement from coal ash and other waste and provide heat to nearby businesses. The DEP issued the air pollution permit in April 2006. The lawsuit argues that state rules require the DEP to revoke the permit after 18 months if the company does not submit "written proof of a good-faith effort that such construction… Department of Energy before beginning construction. A status report submitted to the DEP in ctober 2007 said options to purchase land had been signed and Western Greenbrier had obtained permits and selected an engineering firm. John Benedict director of the DEP's Division of Air Quality said earlier this week that the agency has not decided whether the status report was adequate. Western Greenbrier has struggled to shore up financing for the project. Earlier this month Brown said the project needs an additional $25 million in capital to satisfy Citigroup which would underwrite an approximately $300 million bond offering for the project. An environmental group says the air pollution permit for a proposed $416 million clean coal plant should be revoked because the developers have waited too long to begin construction.
Ford’s Essex workforce expected to be unaffected by Tata deal
Business Weekly – Mar 27, 2008
It will all continue as before largely unchanged. "As part of the transaction Ford said it will continue to supply Jaguar Land Rover for differing periods with powertrains stampings and other vehicle components in addition to a variety of technologies such as environmental and platform technologies – all from the company’s Dagenham plant. It has also committed to provide engineering support including research and development plus information technology accounting and other services in addition to providing financing for Jaguar and Land Rover dealers and customers during a transitional period through Ford Motor Credit Company. According to Ford’s 2008 schedule for its Dagenham plant the facility will produce a total of almost 1. 2m engines during the year with over ten per cent or 126k of those reserved for the newly divested business. "During 2007 Jaguar and Land Rover diesel-powered retails numbered at around 164000 which should give you a good indication of supply from Dagenham" said the director of corporate affairs at Jaguar Land Rover Don Hume. Tata Motors which is part of India’s largest business group and multinational company reiterated statements of ‘business as usual’ made by representatives of Ford and Jaguar Land Rover but was unable to comment on how the deal might affect its existing operations in the East of England at this early stage… "As part of the transaction Ford said it will continue to supply Jaguar Land Rover for differing periods with powertrains stampings and other vehicle components in addition to a variety of technologies such as environmental and platform technologies – all from the company’s Dagenham plant. It has also committed to provide engineering support including research and development plus information technology accounting and other services in addition to providing financing for Jaguar and Land Rover dealers and customers during a transitional period through Ford Motor Credit Company. According to Ford’s 2008 schedule for its Dagenham plant the facility will produce a total of almost 1. 2m engines during the year with over ten per cent or 126k of those reserved for the newly divested business. "During 2007 Jaguar and Land Rover diesel-powered retails numbered at around 164000 which should give you a good indication of supply from Dagenham" said the director of corporate affairs at Jaguar Land Rover Don Hume. Tata Motors which is part of India’s largest business group and multinational company reiterated statements of ‘business as usual’ made by representatives of Ford and Jaguar Land Rover but was unable to comment on how the deal might affect its existing operations in the East of England at this early stage. "This is a good agreement.
Minda group’s renewed international aspiration
Economic Times – Mar 27, 2008
MrMinda talks to Automania on the group’s renewed international aspiration whichhas taken the group to Southeast Asian markets and the focus on Research andDevelopment. This comes after the group’s flagship company Minda Industries Ltdhas been awarded the National R&D Award 2007 by the Department ofScientific and Industrial Development ministry of Science andTechnology. Withthe Indian automobile industry going full steam what expansion plans areunderway in the NK Mindagroup? We are setting up a newplant at Bidadi Bangalore for the manufacture of Blow Molding parts for 4wheelers. This is a new product category and in keeping with the NK Mindagroup’s philosophy of adding products which have a higher value addition. Wehave a technical agreement with Kyoraku Company of Japan for the product. The plant will have an initialinvestment outlay of Rs 25 crore and is expected to add Rs 50 crore to thetopline of Minda Industries Limited in the next 3-5 years… The new generation cars like Maruti Sx4 and ZenEstilo Hyundai i10 and Verna are coming with these modern mirrors and to meetthe demand the production will be doubled to around 10000 units by FY 2009-10from the 5000 units currently produced. Will theproducts also require any R&D. Is the company planning any in initiatives oninnovation? We have beeninstrumental in offering latest technology and engineering products to the twowheeler sector our core business. ur Automatic Turn Signal switch for twowheelers (where the indicators automatically comes back as in cars) which wedeveloped for Bajaj Auto Limited and is our patented product will be exported tovarious overseas markets. We have also developed different processes design andproducts which have allowed 12 international patents for the company. We are thefirst auto component group to set up a R&D lab in Japan. It has helped us todevelop technology and now we are also supplying automotive Parts to iconicbadges like Maybach Rover BMW Audi Volkswagen Volvo Caterpillar Renaultetc.
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