China's SHMG Takes Control of NFM Technologies amid Booming Domestic MarketThe Lyon Commercial Court agreed upon the safeguard plan of NFM Technologies on 24th May, 2007. This plan will be approved on 27th July after consultation of creditors by the trustee regarding the full debt repayment, spread out by thirds on 36 months. According to the terms of safeguard plan, Chinese industrial group Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group (SHMG) will become the main shareholder of Wirth Holding Company, who fully owns the capital of NFM Technologies. SHMG will hold a 70% stake in Wirth Holding Company, who will keep a 30% stake.SHMG committed to an ambitious development project for NFM Technologies. Moreover, the industrial activity of NFM Technologies in Le Creusot and Lyon, France will be maintained and the management team will remain in place. Nikolaus Kleuters will manage the new NFM Technologies.SHMG set up two years ago a joint venture to produce TBMs with the Wirth Group and NFM Technologies for the Chinese market. SHMG, which is based in the northeastern province of Liaoning, held a controlling 52% stake in the joint venture - Shenyang Wirth TBM Corp. - while the Wirth Group and NFM Technologies each owned 24% stakes. The Wirth Group continues its own activities as a separate business, different from NFM Technologies.NFM Technologies will make in France the main parts of the TBMs, including the cutter heads and main drives, which will be assembled by SMHG in China. NFM Technologies employs 230 staff members (110 at the design department in Lyon and 120 in Le Creusot where TBMs are assembled). The Chinese market is in the spotlight with 12 machines currently under construction or tunnelling. The sustained growth of the Chinese tunnelling market gives NFM Technologies great opportunities to play an important part in the construction of major tunnel projects.Two Benton'air® slurry machines with diameter of 11.38 metres are currently boring a road tunnel under the Yangtze River in Wuhan. Acquired by China Railway Tunnelling Group (CRTG), the first machine has already completed 200 metres and the second one is in the launch phase. The total length of the Yangtze River crossing is 3,630 metres, whereof 2,720 metres bored with the two slurry TBMs. Tunnelling is expected to be completed at the end of 2007. Click here and here. Read E-News Weekly 20/2007, 29/2005, 50/2004, 18/2002 & 13/2002.Two other Benton'air® slurry machines with diameter of 11.93 metres are boring a 5.5 km railway tunnel between the central and west main railway stations in Beijing. The machines are currently under assembly in SHMG's facilities. The new tunnel must be operational for the 2008 Olympic Games. Click here.For the Shiziyang tunnel on the express railway line between Guangzhou and Shenzhen, four NFM Technologies TBMs with diameter of 11.12 metres will excavate a twin bored tunnel of 4,540 metres and 4,500 metres respectively. The machines are being produced in SHMG's facilities and will be ready to start on site at the end of the year. There are in total 23 cross passages connecting the tunnels, of which 19 are located in the sections excavated by the four slurry shield machines. Click here and cn/75.The Shanghai government plans to build more tunnels and bridges across the Huangpu River by the end of 2020. Their construction will bring the number to 16, roughly one every two kilometres. The Shangzhong road tunnel is currently excavated by a 14.87 m-diameter NFM Benton'air® TBM which will break through very soon after a total drive of 1,500 metres. This high-performing and imposing machine previously built the Groene Hart tunnel in the Netherlands and is successfully carrying out its second mission in Shanghai.After taking part in the excavation of Line 3 of the Guangzhou metro with two TBMs, NFM Technologies will supply a new EPB shield of 6.28 m diameter for Line 6. The TBM is under assembly in NFM's Guangzhou facilities. The launch is planned for spring 2007.With the aim to ease urban transport congestion and play a positive role in renovating the old industrial base, the city of Shenyang decided to launch the construction of a metro system. NFM Technologies has just received an order from the 18th Bureau for one slurry shield tunnel boring machine of the Benton'air® type. This 6.28 m-diameter TBM will excavate a twin tunnel under the Hun Ye River for Line 1 of the Shenyang metro .The drive will span 1,423 metres between Wulihe station and Aoti station. Visit www.nfm-technologies.com 23-24/07.