OGV Group’s Post

The success of the locomotive retrofitting is firstly down to the innovation, tenacity and industry of the De Sadel Consortium, a gas, power and rail investor. Second, is the faith and confidence of HMT, Sen. Saidu Alkali in not allowing himself to be swayed by the resistance and pessimism in some quarters. It is a testament to the philosophy that he who dares wins. It demonstrates how entrepreneurs solve business problems through innovation while the public enterprise stubbornly resists change and clings on to what it knows, even as its once dominant market position is eroded by the competition. Fuel and lube are the railway's major operational expense representing about 70% of its OPEX. A reduction of 70% in fuel costs completely transforms the operating ratio and the business case ceteris paribus. The De-Sadel loco retrofitting exercise is a foretaste of what unbundling the NRC portends as long as we learn the lessons from the restructuring of the power sector. We must ensure that cronies with no capacity, technical or financial, are shut out. Let us do right by ourselves for a change. Congratulations to De Sadel and HMT and his team at FMT. Congratulations to the NRC too for being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. All glory is shared but it's not over until it's really over. Let's make hay while the sun shines.

Thanks to Ivan for sharing this : so how would my Green Energy experts suggest that these hundreds of millions of pounds of investment could be made to “ sweat”… after all these funds are taxpayers funds and in order to see whether they are being put to good use we as taxpayers have a right to know specifically which companies / organisations are getting them …. So we can work out which companies/ organisations should be getting them ie those who ca provide the best RoI. As Geoff said today it’s amazing what can be achieved with limited funds … so what is going to be achieved with these funds?

In this article you can read about a fantastic update for Scotland’s maritime industry. One of the country’s ports recently started providing shore power to offshore supply vessels. Check out the full story here.

Last week's Spring Budget from the Chancellor touched on a number of areas of relevance for Freeport East. Our Chief Executive, Steve Beel, shares his views.   We welcome the extension of tax reliefs for freeport sites until 2031, enhancing our ability to attract investment and create jobs. This aligns us with international competitors and provides greater certainty for investors on our sites at #Gateway14, #Felixstowe, and #Harwich. The injection of £120m into the Green Industries Growth Accelerator (GIGA) fund will bring its total to over £1bn. These funds will support clean energy sectors, including #greenhydrogen and #offshorewind, both central to Freeport East ambitions. Freeport East aims to play a lead role in the hydrogen economy, supporting local businesses and setting global sustainability standards.   The 2024 Contracts for Difference (CfD) budget announcement and industry response will test if volumes are sufficient to meet required supply chain investments. Progress in offshore wind must be accompanied by port investments to avoid bottlenecks in the UK's 2050 net zero goals. Harwich, with its ties to offshore wind and related industries can play a significant role, with plans for the #BathsideBay port expansion offering unique scale and capabilities to support these offshore wind projects.   The £150 million Investment Opportunity Fund for Freeports and Investment Zones, emphasising Green Industries and Digital sectors, presents growth opportunities for #Suffolk and #Essex and we look forward to engaging with local businesses and investors to maximise this. Despite the lack of clarity on critical rail investment at Ely & Haughley Junction, which offers overwhelming national benefits, we'll continue making the case for transport investments locally and nationally to ensure that Freeport East can deliver for the UK and our communities.   Freeport East is to generate 13,500 new jobs and boost local economy through inward investment and a unique focus on #greenindustries 💻 To find out more about Freeport East visit: https://freeporteast.com/

EM Freeport Further to my earlier Post this is the EM Freeport site. Whilst no part of the UK is more than 60 miles from the UK’s Sea FreePorts the point to appreciate is that they are probably no more than 350 miles from the only AirFreePort ( “ AFP”) …. Hopefully Green rather than just Free. Put simply if you are an overseas business wanting to set up in UK one option should be to consider setting up in EMAFP because from a UK point of view that is truly a hub as you will see for working & living; making & moving things & people wise. In effect the point of Freeports is to encourage overseas businesses to set up duty free retail warehouses in the UK …… but and it’s a BIG “but “ what are the consequences for our domestic manufacturers and our Balance of Payments Deficit unless there are reciprocal arrangements in those overseas countries to Buy British 🇬🇧 post Brexit? One criticism of Freeports is that not only are we handing over UK plc’s family silver to countries like China ( which Hastings / Saunders are on record as saying are intending to do us harm) without reciprocal trading agreements but we are giving them tax relief as well in the process… and “ we” here means UK taxpayers. So my IFAQ for today to Ibrahim & Philly at Freeports Innovation Network (“FIN”) is … what safeguards are there in the Freeports concept to ensure that our domestic wealth creators aren’t simply going to be undercut and wiped out by helping push President Xi’s Belt & Road initiative on his behalf right into the Economic Heartlands of the UK? Whilst Free Trade is a laudable concept it’s got to be “ Fair & Free Trade”…. Freeports are the personal initiative of outgoing PM “ R u ready 4 Rishi” and he of all people should remember that : “ the road to Hell is paved with good intentions” Hope this helps https://www.emfreeport.com

Highest energy costs in EU driving Irish SME insolvencies – Azets Ireland: Dessie Morrow, the head of advisory and restructuring at Azets Ireland, warned that elevated energy costs were hampering Irish competitiveness https://lnkd.in/eBeg65Ck

Bringing green growth to Port Talbot. We were delighted to welcome Minister of State for Industry Sarah Jones to the port of Port Talbot yesterday to update her on ABP's transformational plans to develop the port as a world scale hub to support floating offshore wind projects. It's only by being on the ground that you can really appreciate the scale of development possible. Port Talbot provides the ideal place to act as a 'pathfinder' location for the Government's Industrial Strategy. It brings together key sectors identified in the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, foundational infrastructure and a large-scale industrial site in a community experiencing major decarbonisation. Applying the principles of the Industrial Strategy in such a location makes the opportunities and issues real – learning lessons that could be applied across similar sites (like the Humber) across the UK. Realising the potential is going to take a team effort across the public and private sectors. It's not going to be easy but the prize is huge. ABP is ready to play its part and deliver green growth, jobs and opportunity through ambitious investment. Thanks to Rob Norman for the photo. #Ports #GreenGrowth #PortTalbot #FLOW #FloatingOffshoreWind #IndustrialStrategy #ReadyForTomorrow Department for Business and Trade | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

A clear illustration of why climate policy and infrastructure policy need to align. Ports have a monumental role to play in the transition and can be transformed into energy hubs of the future. Infrastructure finance for port development and holistic risk management, that addresses political exposures as well as physical, is vital. Good sign that UK government is getting behind this with the pledge of £1.8bn investment in upgrading ports as part of its transition to clean energy ambition. The proliferation of domestic blended finance vehicles can clearly have a huge impact, but in a world where the spread of polarisation is creating increased fragmentation, and arguably impeding transition progress, investor interest into port infrastructure spend needs to roll out globally to de-risk energy supply chain exposure in our intertwined world. #supplychain #energy #portrisks #portriskmangement #blendedfinance #UKports

SCZONE Welcomes US Delegation to Discuss Green Fuel Initiatives Shipping Arabia, September 28, 2024 — Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien, Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), hosted a high-profile meeting at SCZONE's headquarters in Sokhna with representatives from the US Embassy and the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). The discussions focused on potential cooperation for financing green fuel projects within the economic zone. The meeting underscored SCZONE's role as a prime international economic hub, attracting myriad global investments due to its strategic location, energy resource availability, and skilled, cost-competitive technical workforce. “Our strategic geographical position enhances global supply chains, making our ports attractive to the world’s leading port operators,” stated Mr. Gamal El-Dien. Highlighting the zone's commitment to sustainable development, Mr. Gamal El-Dien expressed eagerness to collaborate with development partners to reduce production and operational costs and expedite green fuel production. "We aim to foster comprehensive investments ranging from green fuel production, ancillary industries, and necessary infrastructure, to green bunkering services at the ports of Sokhna and East Port Said,” he added. The delegation from the US expressed admiration for SCZONE's strategic initiatives and its forward-looking approach amidst global economic challenges. The DFC representatives showed particular interest in supporting projects within SCZONE that focus on green fuel, offering technical and financial assistance to facilitate these developments. The visit included a tour of the designated green fuel project areas within the Sokhna Industrial Zone and inspections of the ongoing development at Sokhna Port, poised to become a pivotal Red Sea port. The delegates also reviewed the "Egypt Green Hydrogen" project, highlighting SCZONE's pivotal role in advancing the global energy transformation. Source: Suez Canal Economic Zone #SuezCanal #SCZONE #GreenFuel #Sustainability

🔔 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵 | New financing opportunities for railway rolling stock: the entry into force of the Luxembourg Protocol supplementing the Cape Town Convention on international interests in mobile equipment provides for additional protection of creditors that acquires or finance the acquisition of railway rolling stock. 💡 Discover more by reading our insightful newsflash and feel free to reach out to our experts, Vivian Walry, Zornitsa Dimitrova, Charlotte Demeuldre, Benjamin Lievin, Rossana Tsenova or Susi Chibane if you have any questions on this topic. https://lnkd.in/eWw4WJNR #CMSLuxembourg #CMSLaw #Luxembourg #bankingandfinance