President Manuel Ortega said on Saturday that the construction of a massive inter-oceanic canal in Nicaragua that could significantly alter global trade would start at the end of 2014.....
“The Nicaraguan government and HKND Group are pleased to confirm that canal construction work will begin as planned in December 2014,” Ortega announced alongside Chinese tycoon Wang Jing, whose group has secured the rights to dig and operate the waterway.Ortega gave the Chinese group a concession to manage the future shipping channel for 50 years, with the possibility to renew the contract for another 50.
The massive 30-billion-euro project would connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and rival the century-old Panama canal.
The Panama canal is currently building a new lane of traffic to double its capacity, but the expansion is running behind schedule.
Nicaraguan authorities have said that besides the future waterway, their project would include an oil pipeline, an overland route, two deepwater ports, two airports and duty-free zones.
Nicaraguan legislators in June approved granting Wang Jing the canal concession, and in December the Supreme Court in Managua said the project did not violate the constitution.
- Opponents say the project is not financially feasible and have raised concerns about displacing indigenous groups and damage to the environment.
Saturday’s announcement appeared to contradict recent government statements that construction would be delayed until 2015.
One week ago, Manuel Coronel Kautz, president of the canal authority, told a national newspaper that digging would not start on time because the canal’s path remained undefined.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP)
http://www.france24.com/en/20140112-nicaragua-canal-china-construction-december-panama-trade/
12/1/14
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Un nouveau canal pourrait bientôt concurrencer celui de Panama....
ReplyDeleteLe président du Nicaragua Daniel Ortega et le magnat chinois Wang Jing ont déclaré samedi que les travaux de construction d'un canal interocéanique à travers le Nicaragua devraient débuter fin 2014.
"Le gouvernement nicaraguayen et le groupe HKND sont heureux de confirmer que les travaux de construction du canal débuteront comme prévu en décembre 2014", ont déclaré les deux hommes dans un bref communiqué.
Ces déclarations visent apparemment à démentir toute rumeur de retard, alors que le responsable de l'Autorité du Canal de Panama avait récemment fait état d'un report des travaux du canal du Nicaragua à 2015.
La société de Wang Jing, Beijing Interoceanic Canal Investment Co., a obtenu une concession pour creuser un canal interocéanique à travers le Nicaragua qui concurrencera le canal de Panama et aura un impact non négligeable sur le commerce international.
Daniel Ortega a accordé au groupe une concession de 50 ans, renouvelable pour 50 ans supplémentaires.
Il s'agit de loin du plus important projet d'infrastructure porté par Daniel Ortega depuis son retour au pouvoir en 2007.
Le Panama mène actuellement des travaux d'élargissement de son canal, mais le projet, évalué à 5,2 milliards de dollars, subit des retards.......................http://www.eco-reconstructions.com/2014/01/un-nouveau-canal-pourrait-bientot.html#more
12/1/14
Talks break down in Panama Canal contract dispute...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - A planned extension of the Panama Canal, one of the world's most important shipping routes, was thrown into doubt on Wednesday after a group of companies said its talks with Panama's government over how to expand the canal had fallen apart.
Group United for the Canal, a consortium led by Spanish builder Sacyr, said in a statement that the government's canal authority had broken off talks on who will pay some $1.6 billion needed to complete the ambitious project.
A Panama Canal Authority official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that most work on the expansion had stopped, after the discussions broke down.
The canal authority was set to hold a news conference.
The failure of the talks was the latest setback to a project mired in disputes since the consortium, which also includes Italy's Salini Impregilo as well as a Belgian and Panamanian firm, won a bid to double the capacity of the near 50-mile transoceanic cargo route.
Disagreements over cost overruns had already reached international courts and talks between the two sides over how to find the additional cash to finish the project had been extended twice.
It was unclear whether Wednesday's breakdown was final................http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/05/us-sacyr-panama-idUSBREA140ZG20140205?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
5/2/14
Spanish firm Sacyr denies halting work on Panama Canal....
DeleteThe Spanish building company leading the expansion project on the Panama Canal has denied that work at the waterway has been halted.
The president of Sacyr, Manuel Manrique, said no date had been set for construction work to stop.
The Panama Canal Authority and the building companies involved are engaged in a dispute over who should foot $1.6bn (£1bn) in extra costs.
The Panama Canal is one of the world's most important shipping routes.
The consortium says 10,000 jobs are at risk, but the canal's authority says it will not "yield to blackmail".
Earlier today, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced that talks with the Spanish-led consortium behind the project had broken down.
The Canal Authority also said that work had been halted at the site.
Mr Manrique admitted that work may eventually stop, if the building companies run out of cash, but said no such decision had been taken by the consortium.
"There is still room for negotiation with the ACP," Mr Manrique told the Spanish radio network Cadena Ser.
"This project, like many big projects, has unforeseen costs. We want an arbitration court to decide who will pay for that," he added.
The consortium is made up of Spain's Sacyr, Impregilo of Italy, Belgian firm Jan De Nul and Constructora Urbana, a Panamanian firm..................http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-26053032
5/2/14
Schlechte Nachricht für die Weltwirtschaft“Ausbau des Panamakanals gestoppt....
DeleteDer Streit um die Mehrkosten für den Ausbau des Panamakanals eskaliert. Das Bau-Konsortium hat die Arbeiten vorerst eingestellt – jede Verzögerung ist eine schlechte Nachricht für die Wirtschaft.
MadridDer Streit um die Mehrkosten für den Ausbau des Panamakanals ist am Mittwoch eskaliert: Das Konsortium GUPC um den spanischen Baukonzern Sacyr habe seine Drohung wahrgemacht und die Arbeiten eingestellt, teilte der Chef der Kanalbehörde, Jorge Quijano, in Panama-Stadt mit. Sacyr warf den panamaischen Behörden vor, die Verhandlungen abgebrochen zu haben, bestritt aber den Abbruch der Bauarbeiten an dem Großprojekt..................http://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/schlechte-nachricht-fuer-die-weltwirtschaft-ausbau-des-panamakanals-gestoppt/9438816.html
5/2/14