03 Mar 2010

The Salini Group is beefing up its presence abroad with the acquisition of a major contract in Kazakhstan, which will provide safe, modern roads between Eastern Europe and the Chinese border. Salini Costruttori and Todini Costruzioni Generali, which recently joined the Salini Group, won 11 of the 14 lots put up for tender by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Kazakhstan, for a total of 530 million Euros. The works, funded by the IBRD (World Bank Group) with the participation of the local government, involve modernising and widening a total of 630 km of roads between the Aktobe, on the border with Kizylorda, and Shimkent. The lots are part of a large project called “South-West Roads: Western Europe/Western China International Transit Corridor,” the purpose of which is to connect Europe to China, for a length of 2,840 km and a total investment of 7,500 million dollars over the 2009-2014 period. Completion of this project will enable the countries in the CAREC (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation) area to improve transport efficiency and effectiveness, developing trade from and towards Europe, and will make a major contribution to road safety in these areas. The work follows along part of the historic Silk Road, which made possible trade and cultural exchange that was decisive for the development and flourishing of the ancient civilisations of Egypt, China, India and Rome, and contributed to laying the foundations of the modern world. Also in Kazakhstan, the Salini Group is part of a consortium headed by Impregilo, which was the “preferred bidder” for award of a contract for a 300 km highway along the route connecting the cities of Almaty and Khorgos, as part of plans to develop the main land transport route with China. The total investment is estimated at more than 1.5 billion Euros. In addition, through Todini Costruzioni Generali, the Group has recently acquired contracts for the construction of two highway lots totalling 52 km on the route between Sfax and Gabes, in Tunisia, worth €81 million, and through Salini Nigeria Ltd, a contract for the construction of a section of road within the city of Abuja, Nigeria, for 63 million Euros. The Group is enhancing its combined order portfolio, which now amounts to more than 8.5 billion Euros.