🌆 Infra Futures #19

Happy Monday 👋

GlassPoint is investing $1.5B in Saudi Arabia to develop Ma'aden I, a solar thermal project aimed at decarbonizing the aluminum supply chain with advanced solar-to-heat technology. Vietnam announced a $67B high-speed rail project to boost connectivity and economic growth. In the UK, Kier and Bam Construct secured positions on $1.75B Wales construction frameworks. The World Bank's IFC will lend $301M to a Mexican developer for affordable, eco-friendly housing. Additionally, Horwitz, supported by Svoboda Capital, acquired Preferred Electric, enhancing its mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services and highlighting the strategic acquisitions.

What's new?
HolonIQ’s new Green Skills Map and Workforce section reveal industry-wide sustainability skills and jobs, as well as workforce development initiatives, supporting upskilling for a sustainable economy.

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🏗️ Energy Infrastructure

☀️ GlassPoint to Build Giant Solar Thermal Project in Saudi Arabia. GlassPoint, a solar energy company, will build a giant industrial solar thermal project called Ma'aden I in Saudi Arabia. The $1.5B Ma’aden I project will decarbonize Ma’aden's aluminum supply chain, featuring advanced solar-to-heat technology with thermal storage.

🔒 SEALSQ Unveils Quantum-Resistant Chips to Protect Critical Infrastructure. SEALSQ, a cybersecurity company, unveiled next-generation post-quantum chips designed to protect critical infrastructure sectors like energy, and finance from potential threats posed by future quantum computing capabilities.

⚛️ Belarus Explores Expanding Nuclear Power Capacity. The Belarusian Energy Ministry plans to conduct a feasibility study to assess the possibility of adding a third reactor to the Astravets nuclear power plant or constructing a second nuclear site.

🚘 Transport Infrastructure

🚄 Vietnam's $67B Mega High-Speed Rail Project. The Vietnamese government announced a $67B Mega High-Speed Rail Project to upgrade the country's infrastructure and enhance economic growth and connectivity.

🚗 Rivian Awarded $6.6B Loan for Georgia EV Plant. Rivian, an electric vehicle company, was awarded a $6.6B conditional loan from the US government to build a new plant in Georgia that will be able to produce up to 400,000 electric vehicles per year when fully operational in 2028.

🚆 Czechia Announces Major Investment in Rail Infrastructure Modernization. Czechia's Minister of Transport announced that $2.7B will be invested next year for track and station modernization projects, including high-speed rail development flood damage repairs, and the expansion of the ETCS safety system.

🏛️ Buildings

🏗️ Kier and Bam Construct Win $1.7B Wales Construction Frameworks. Kier and Bam Construct, two major construction firms in the UK, have secured spots on two significant building frameworks in Wales worth a combined $1.75B.

🏢 Bratislava to get EU's second tallest building. Bratislava will soon be home to the EU's second tallest building, designed by Dutch architect KCAP, with the taller tower reaching 260m. The project will feature sustainable design elements and offer 1,100 homes in a regenerated area of the city.

🏫 Social Infrastructure

🏘️ World Bank lends Mexican developer $301M for green housing. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), which is part of the World Bank, will provide a $301M loan to a developer in Mexico to construct affordable and environmentally friendly housing.

🏠 Australia's Private Residential Construction Hits Lowest Level in Decades. Private residential construction in Australia hit its lowest level since the late 1980s, with KPMG warning that insufficient spending is being made to expand the country's housing stock.

🛠️ Skills and Workforce

HolonIQ is now tracking reskilling and upskilling initiatives critical in bridging workforce gaps. Impact industries are rapidly evolving, fueled by technological advancements, decarbonization, geopolitical dynamics, and socio-economic factors. To that extent, these sectors require considerable workforce/professional development initiatives to enhance workers' capabilities, boost economic growth, and promote social well-being. Read on for this week’s insights, and discover more in HolonIQ's latest Skills newsletter.

🗑️ ILO Skills Project Enhances Waste Management and Sustainability for SMEs. A recent ILO initiative in Arba Minch, Ethiopia, focused on training women-led and disability-inclusive small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in environmental sustainability and waste management. The training addressed skills gaps and fostered green business practices, including circular economy and waste-to-value strategies. Participants gained practical knowledge in waste management, sustainability, and entrepreneurship, which they can apply to their businesses, supporting Ethiopia’s green growth and economic inclusion goals. The program highlights the role of SMEs in sustainable development.

👔 Newsom Unveils Jobs Program in Fresno, Reinforces $200M Downtown Promise. California Governor Gavin Newsom introduced a $120M jobs program in Fresno focused on clean energy, carbon capture, and manufacturing, aligning with the California Jobs First Initiative. Highlighting community-driven strategies, Newson emphasized workforce development through local partnerships. The program is aimed at bridging regional economic gaps. Additionally, Newsom reaffirmed his commitment to a $200M downtown revitalization fund, ensuring its inclusion in the upcoming state budget.

🪟 New Training Center Bridges Green Heating Skills Gap in Cumbria, UK. Lakes College in Cumbria has launched a new green energy training center, funded by £200K from the government, to address the skills gap in low-carbon heating. The center will offer courses in air and ground source heat pumps, solar thermal, and electric vehicle charging. As the UK seeks 33,700 heat pump installers, the center aims to provide critical training to meet Net Zero goals, supporting the nation’s green targets.

HolonIQ has launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated for cataloging, evaluating, and contextualizing the different components of the rapidly expanding field of green jobs. This comprehensive taxonomy will serve as a resource for understanding the full spectrum and complexity of green skills required across various sectors, thereby enabling a cohesive approach toward achieving net zero and decarbonizing the global economy. Green Skills Map spans 11 areas, 54 sub-areas, and 243 green skills clusters. A snippet of the map covering four areas has been included above. Explore the full map on greenskills.org.

💰 Infra Deals

💰 Svoboda Capital-backed Horwitz acquires Preferred Electric. Horwitz, a Midwest-based mechanical, electrical, and plumbing specialty contractor backed by Svoboda Capital, acquired Preferred Electric, an electric contractor.

🔩 Metal Fabricator Acquires Noble County Company. Solv Metals, a subsidiary of Solv Holdings, acquired WickFab Inc., a metal fabrication company based in Avilla, Noble County.

💰 Applied Industrial Technologies to Acquire Hydradyne. Applied Industrial Technologies announced it signed an agreement to acquire Hydradyne, LLC, a provider of industrial hydraulic and pneumatic motion control solutions.

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Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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