Europe

Netherlands-based construction company Ballast Nedam has joined forces with Microbeton to form a new joint venture, Concrete Valley, it has been announced.

The new venture, which will focus on specialised solutions in the concrete industry, consists of two companies, Waco Lingen Beton (a Ballast Nedham company) and Microbeton, which develops and manufactures lightweight ferrocement products.

This is a crucial weekend for Greece, Europe and the rest of the world.

Greece goes to the polls on Sunday for the second time in six weeks, with the distinct possibility that the government that emerges from the election may reject the austerity conditions attached to the bailouts it has received from the Eurozone.

Premier Foods, the UK’s largest food producer, has reached an agreement to sell its vinegar and sour pickles business to Mizkan for £41 million.

The sale, which includes the Sarson’s, Haywards and Dufrais brands, is expected to complete by the end of July 2012.

The agreement marks the latest stage in the company’s strategy to prioritise investment into its eight ‘Power Brands’ and divest selected non-core businesses.

French manufacturer Soitec has announced the completion and grid connection of the largest concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar power plant in Italy.

Located in the Belpasso municipality in Sicily’s Catania province, the 1.17 MW-peak (MWp) facility is now ready to generate clean, reliable electricity for the local power grid.

The utility-scale plant will generate enough electricity to supply approximately 300 homes each year and is expected to offset more than 125 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

Greek shipping company Box Ships has agreed to acquire two post-Panamax container vessels from OOCL for $31.15 million per vessel.

The two 5,344 TEU post-Panamax ships are the 1995-build OOCL Hong Kong and the 1996-build OOCL China. The expected dates of delivery for both vessels to the company are to take place mid-July.

The Irish Dairy Board (IDB) has entered into an agreement to sell its Belgian continental cheese packing operation, IDB Belgium, to Netherlands-based Royal FrieslandCampina.

The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed by 31 July 2012.

Proceeds from the transaction will be invested in furthering the IDB’s strategic growth plans and in international acquisition prospects.

Canadian engineering consultancy Genivar has announced it will merge with its UK-based rival WSP.

Genivar will acquire all of WSP’s shares for around £278 million.

The companies said that given their complementary geographic footprints, end-market exposures and service offerings and limited client overlap, the business fit is expected to provide revenue diversification as well as enhanced capabilities to better serve their combined client base on a global basis.

UK-based interim power solutions company Aggreko has joined forces with South Africa’s Shanduka Group to provide power from a gas field in Mozambique.

The two companies will provide a 107 MW power plant which will use gas from Mozambique’s Temane gas field to provide an interim power supply to South African power utility Eskom and its Mozambican counterpart, Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM).

A solar-powered plane the size of a jumbo jet landed in Morocco last night following a 19-hour flight from Madrid.

Pilot Bertrand Piccard landed in Morocco’s Rabat-Salé international airport at 23:30, completing the world’s first intercontinental flight in a plane powered by the sun.

The plane, named the Solar Impulse, was powered by 12,000 solar cells turning four electrical motors.

Achieving energy independence has become a top priority for the country, said Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych during a meeting in Washington, DC.

The meeting of the working group on energy security was co-chaired by the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Boyko and Special Envoy of the United States Secretary of State for Eurasian Energy, Richard Morningstar.