Category: Engineering

Sevens Atelier – Luxury Design and Build Consultancy, embarks on next phase of growth as a listed entity

Sevens Atelier Limited (the “Company” or “Sevens Atelier”) would like to announce today its completion of the proposed acquisition of Sevens Creation Private Limited’s Design and Build business. This will propel forward the Company’s vision of a comprehensive and innovative Design and Build consultant for premium landed properties in Singapore.

Headquartered in Singapore, Sevens Atelier taps on the expertise of a holistic in-house execution and advisory team, establishing itself as a premier Design & Build solutions provider with an innovative edge in the premium landed property space. The Company boasts a proven track record of notable design-build projects in prime residential districts, such as Orchard Rd, East Coast, Bukit Timah and Sentosa. Sevens Atelier is well-poised to build trust with its clients and continuously elevate their artisanal capabilities in the Design and Build space.

As landed property prices in Singapore are expected to remain firm, if not experience an upward trend , demand for design consultancy services is also expected to face a corresponding increase, offering potential growth opportunities for the Company.

Key services that will be offered and enhanced by the Company will include Redevelopment and Reconstruction as well as pre-purchase inspection of the homes. Going beyond consultation services for landed properties, as ancillary services to the Design and Build focus, Sevens Atelier will also provide access to pre-leasing consultation services for multinational companies and established players in the food and beverage industry, which will cover minute details such as lighting, furnishing, to turnkey visualisations, without the pressure of prematurely committing to the business space. Sevens Atelier is also set to launch 7s Meta Virtual Homes – to further integrate the physical and virtual aspects of home-building via an immersive 3D experience of virtual reality that will digitally enhance the Design and Build process.

Commenting on the Company’s listing status, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Sevens Atelier, Mr. Jeffrey Hong said, “Luxury homes are both a financial and emotional investment, and we wish to operate as a comprehensive concierge service for our clients, leveraging on decades of real estate experience and network to build their dream homes. We are confident that Sevens Atelier will revitalise the home-building and luxury design consultancy space, as we continue to enhance our key offerings through investments in innovative digital solutions.”

About Sevens Atelier Limited (SGX:5EW)

Sevens Atelier is a Catalist Board-listed company on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) offering full-fledged consultancy services in the Design & Build industry, including pre-leasing consultations of business spaces and pre-purchase inspections of premium landed properties in Singapore. From consultation to completion, they provide turnkey services to their premium clients. Sevens Atelier is a BCA-certified solutions provider in the Design and Build arena with the goal to constantly improve and evolve. Their artisanal capabilities are a hallmark of their commitment to their clients.

For all media queries, please contact:
Kamal Samuel
Financial PR
T: 6438-2990
E: kamal@financialpr.com.sg

ULVAC-PHI Launches Sales of Latest XPS System that Dramatically Accelerates Battery Research and Development

  • ULVAC-PHI integrates every surface analysis technology which is essential for battery research and development into an advanced automated platform to contribute to battery performance and longevity through thin film and interface characterizations.

ULVAC-PHI Incorporated has launched the PHI GENESIS, an automated and multi-function scanning X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS: X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy or ESCA: Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis). The PHI GENESIS is the united model of PHI’s multi-functional scanning XPS instruments and was designed for automation and simplified operation.

PHI GENESIS scanning X-ray photoelectron spectrometer

Background
Advanced materials such as all-solid-state batteries, advanced semiconductors, and artificial photosynthesis are complex combinations of materials, and their research and development require speed in optimizing the performance of each material as well as the combination of materials. There is a growing need for high-performance and highly functional surface and interface analysis that can dramatically accelerate such research and development. ULVAC-PHI begins offering a new surface analysis system that not only offers extremely high basic performance but also a high degree of automation to meet the various individual requirements of worldwide customers. The solution is the new “PHI GENESIS” scanning X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) from ULVAC-PHI.

Summary
The “PHI GENESIS” XPS is a new product that combines the core “GENESIS” of the PHI surface analysis instruments, which has a 50-year tradition of advanced automation and reduced analysis time, with expandability, and offers overwhelming basic performance in a compact housing.

The “PHI GENESIS” XPS provides high-speed, high-sensitivity, and overwhelming micro XPS analysis performance with automated multi-sample analysis with automatic sample exchange. A high-sensitivity analyzer with an improved counting rate also contributes to high performance. To date, ULVAC-PHI and Physical Electronics USA, a subsidiary of ULVAC-PHI, have developed various world-first XPS analysis technologies including scanning micro XPS and HAXPES (hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), fully automated robotics XPS analysis, full-automatic insulator neutralization analysis, depth profiling of organic materials using cluster etching ion gun. All of these technologies are incorporated into a single instrument, making it possible to provide state-of-the-art XPS analysis technology for all kinds of materials, including metals, semiconductors, ceramics, and organic materials.

Another novel feature of PHI GENESIS is a new software package designed for ease of use and designed for all levels of users, from surface analysis beginners to well-trained scientists, from manufacturing to cutting-edge research and development. We have also prepared several options that allow customers to perform advanced analyses that previously required sophisticated analytical equipment such as a large synchrotron in a typical laboratory environment.

PHI GENESIS is fully compatible with the analysis of today’s most advanced composite solid materials and composite solid devices and aims to dominate the global market as an indispensable analytical instrument for speeding up research and development.

About ULVAC-PHI, Incorporated
ULVAC-PHI, Incorporated was founded in 1982 and provides advanced surface analysis instruments to universities and leading-edge industries worldwide for research and development. The company provides comprehensive surface analysis technology-based solutions for materials and devices including metals, polymers, semiconductors, batteries, organic and inorganic devices and microelectronics. For more information, visit https://www.ulvac-phi.com/en/.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)
XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy) is one of the most popular surface chemical analysis techniques that can provide chemical information on the top few atomic layers of a solid surface. XPS can provide qualitative and quantitative chemical information on solid surfaces by evaluating the energy and intensity of X-ray-induced electrons (photoelectrons). XPS is provided to universities and industrial research facilities as well as for quality control and quality assurance purposes, as it shows excellent features for the analysis of surface and interface phenomena such as coloration, adhesion, sliding, catalyst, thin-film interfaces and electrical contacts.

For inquiries regarding this matter, please contact
Product Strategy Department, ULVAC-PHI Corporation
TEL: +81-467-85-4220 (Sales)

Related website
https://www.ulvac-phi.com
https://www.surf-analysis.com

Grand Ming Group Holdings Limited Announces Annual Results for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

  • Revenue Decreased by 45% to HK$818 Million
  • Net profit for the Year Amounted to HK$17.5 Million
  • Proposed Final Dividend of 4.0 HK Cents per share

Grand Ming Group Holdings Limited (the Company and together with its subsidiaries, the Group, HKG: 1271)) today announces its annual results for the year ended 31 March 2022 (FY 2021/22).

Highlights

  • Revenue amounted to HK$817.9 million, a decrease of 45.2% from the previous financial year.
  • Net profit for the year was HK$17.5 million, representing a decrease of 88.2%.
  • Proposed payment of final dividend of 4.0 HK cents per share.
  • Stay positive toward lucrative business of owning and operating data centres via expanding portfolio of developing two new centres in near future.
  • Seize opportunity to increase land reserve for property development in Hong Kong.
  • Execute the plan for property development in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China targeting for luxurious senior residential market.

The Group’s consolidated revenue decreased approximately 45.2% from approximately HK$1,492.4 million for the year ended 31 March 2021 (“FY 2020/21”) to approximately HK$817.9 million for FY 2021/22. The decrease was primarily caused by lower revenue recognised from the building construction project at Kai Tak which was at the completion stage during FY 2021/22.

The Group’s net profit for FY 2021/22 amounted to approximately HK$17.5 million, representing a decrease of 88.2% when compared to that of approximately HK$149 million for FY 2020/21. Earnings per share was 1.2 HK cents (2021: 10.5 HK cents). The deterioration in results for FY 2021/22 was attributed by (i) reduction of revenue and profit recognised from the Kai Tak construction project which was at the completion stage; (ii) lower profit attained from the sales of typical units of Cristallo project; and (iii) loss incurred in certain variation orders of a completed construction project. Disregarding the changes in fair value of investment properties, the Group recorded an underlying loss of approximately HK$75.2 million (FY 2020/21: underlying profit of HK$148 million).

The Group believes a long-term high dividend policy is the best reward for our loyal shareholders. The Board now recommends to pay a final dividend for FY 2021/22 of 4.0 HK cents per share. Together with the interim dividend of 4.0 HK cents per share and special interim dividend of 20.0 HK cents per share already paid, the total dividends for FY 2021/22 amounted to 28.0 HK cents per share.

During FY 2021/22, revenue derived from the construction business decreased by approximately 65.1%, from approximately HK$1,133.7 million for FY 2020/21 to approximately HK$395.5 million for FY 2021/22. The decrease was primarily attributed to lower revenue recognised from the Kai Tak construction project which was at the completion stage during FY 2021/22.

The data centre leasing business recorded healthy growth in the year under review, representing a testament to the resiliency of the portfolio and right strategy over the years. Revenue derived from its two high-tier data centre buildings, namely iTech Tower 1 and iTech Tower 2 increased approximately 18.4%, from approximately HK$164.7 million for FY 2020/21 to approximately HK$195.0 million for FY 2021/22, primarily driven by increased utilisation of data centre spaces in iTech Tower 2 by committed customers.

The Group looks ahead from a position of strength to a focus on growth, and continues to execute the strategy of creating a stable and growing cash flow stream, the Group further diversifies its footprint for high-tier data centres. The two greenfield sites at No.3 On Kui Street and No.8 On Chuen Street in Fanling, the New Territories will be developed into two new high-tier data centres for leasing purposes, with an estimated gross floor area of approximately 185,000 square feet in aggregate. Currently the application for change of land use change of both sites by way of land exchange are in progress. The development at No.3 On Kui Street and No.8 On Chuen Street is scheduled for completion in mid-2025 and mid-2026 respectively.

The Group’s luxury residential project, CRISTALLO, at No. 279 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon was well sold. During the year sales of 6 residential units were completed, and revenue of approximately HK$221.7 million was recognized accordingly.

“The Grand Marine” in Tsing Yi had achieved an encouraging sales performance, with over 92% of the units sold cumulatively. The certificate of compliance of the development was granted in March 2022. Accordingly, handover of the sold units to the buyers commenced from mid-April 2022, with HK$4.75 billion revenue recognised in the first half of our financial year 2022/23.

For the property development in Mainland China, the Group acquired its first land parcel in July 2021 through government public auction. The land parcel is located at Guangxi-ASEAN Economic and Technological Development Zone, Wuming District, Nanning City, Guangxi Province. The site has an area of approximately 574,000 square feet, and is planned to be developed into a luxury residential project under the theme of leisure and healthy lifestyle targeting customers at the elderly and retirees and their families. The preliminary design comprises high-rise apartment units, villas, retail shops and a wellness centre. The estimated gross floor area of the proposed development is approximately 1,100,000 square feet. Site clearance works had been completed. Planning and design works are in progress.

Mr. Chan Hung Ming, Chairman and Executive Director of Grand Ming Group Holdings concluded, “The achievement of our first property development project of the Grand Marine confirms our successful transition to a property developer which emboldens us to deliver satisfactory results in the coming year. We will continue to launch the sales for the remaining units of the Grand Marine and Cristallo so as to contribute further cash inflows to the Group.”

“Looking forward, year 2022 remains a year full of challenges conditioned by heightened uncertainty, including potential resurgence of another wave of covid-19 infections, local interest rate hike triggered by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s move to hike rates and the global geopolitical tensions. On the other side, resilient demand from the local end-users, limited land supply and low mortgage rate environment continued to support the local residential mass market. We maintain a cautiously optimistic view on the residential property market. Facing with these challenges and uncertainties, we would continue to adopt our prudent approach in managing the Group’s businesses and strategies, and searching meticulously for suitable new property development projects both in Hong Kong and Nanning City of Mainland China to build the long-term development roadmap of the Group. The acceleration of digital transformation in business operations and communication among individuals during the pandemic had led to a surge in demand of high-tier data centres and therefore we are committed to developing our two new data centres in Fanling and looking for new pipelines for growth.”

About Grand Ming Group Holdings Limited (Stock code: 1271.HK)
The Group is principally engaged in the business of building construction, property leasing and property development. As a local wholesale co-location provider of high-tier data centres, the Group is one of the dedicated service providers in Hong Kong which owns and uses the entire building for leasing to customers for data centre use. Its clientele includes multinational data centre operator, telecommunications company and financial institutions. The Group operates two high-tier data centre buildings, namely iTech Tower 1 and iTech Tower 2. It also acquired two pieces of land in Fanling, the New Territories for developing into two high-tier data centres. Furthermore, the Group launches a residential development project namely “The Grand Marine” at Sai Shan Road, Tsing Yi, as well as a luxury residential project, Cristallo, at Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon. The Group owns a piece of land at No.1 Luen Fat Street, Fanling, New Territories and a site at No. 41, 43, 45 Pau Chung Street, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon, for developing each into a residential-cum-retail complex with an aggregate gross floor area of approximately 67,000 square feet. In Mainland China the Group owns a piece of land at Guangxi-ASEAN Economic and Technological Development Zone, Wuming District, Nanning City, Guangxi Province with a site area of approximately 574,000 square metres and the estimated gross floor area of the proposed residential development is approximately 1,100,000 square feet.

Media Contacts:
Angel Yeung
Jovian Communications Ltd
Email: news@joviancomm.com

Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad Welcomes New Batch of Trainees for Industrial Training

Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad (SCIB), a civil engineering specialist, is pleased to welcome a new batch of trainees from Institut Latihan Perindustrian Kota Samarahan (ILPKS), Sarawak, to the Company for physical training as part of the industrial training programme in their final year.

Rosland bin Othman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SCIB

ILPKS was established by the Department of Manpower under the Ministry of Human Resources in 1999, to meet the needs of Malaysia’s skilled workforce by providing vocational training at the intermediate level with specialisation in high-tech fields and in-line with the need for technological developments in the manufacturing sector.

The trainees were accepted into the programme following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the SCIB and ILP Kota Samarahan in October 2020. The MoU gives opportunities for industrial students to undergo training; offers industrial instructors places for industrial attachment training; offer job opportunities to qualified Institut Latihan Jabatan Tenaga Manusia graduates and offers short-term courses to SCIB employees who want to upgrade their skills.

At the ILPKS Convocation Ceremony today, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SCIB, Encik Rosland bin Othman, said, “Professional management on human capital is what we strive to do in SCIB. The younger generations are the future of any institution and even the country and that is why we must focus on the youth as they are the foundation of our society.”

“We provide them with a platform to learn and grow, thus giving them better understanding of their craft and the industry. Employment shall be given to promising students as well. We also believe that providing opportunity for our employees to expand their knowledge, expertise and experience with the course.”

Over the years, SCIB has trained approximately 179 trainees with specific skillsets such as engineering, accounting, business management and construction, while pursuing their certification, diploma and degree. These skillsets allowed the trainees to be employed in their chosen careers. Several trainees had the opportunity to be a part of the SCIB family.

Sarawak Consolidated Industries Bhd: 9237 [BURSA: SCIB], scib@scib.com.my, http://scib.com.my

Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad Provides Further Clarification on LOA from Ennova

Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad (SCIB), a civil engineering specialist, wishes to clarify further on the Letter of Award dated 7 June 2022 (LoA) granted by Ennova Sdn Bhd appointing SCIB Properties Sdn Bhd (SCIBP) as a sub-contractor to undertake an engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract in connection with the Integrated Smart Lamp Pole Replacement project for Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL).

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SCIB, Encik Rosland bin Othman

In addition to the information furnished in the LoA, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SCIB, Encik Rosland bin Othman, noted that SCIBP’s scope of work included but is not limited to site clearing, excavation and reinforced concrete footing structure, laying all reinforcement concrete, bolts and nuts, and plates on all mild steel structures, with the poles, fittings and accessories to be supplied by Ennova.

“The scope also includes perimeter chain-link fencing works, mild steel gates and erection; earthworks, levelling, setting out, making point, and other related works; mechanical and engineering works such as wiring, switch boxes, connection to conduits, lay ground earth cable and rem as well as installation of monopole.”

Ennova is to bear all construction cost of the poles, including the rental of each erected pole in accordance with the agreed rental price between it and DBKL.

“We are unaware of any funding or financing arrangement for the contract by DBKL.

Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad: http://scib.com.my/
Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad: 9237 / [BURSA: SCIB]

Lendlease commences construction on 100 MW data centre campus in Japan for Princeton Digital Group

Lendlease and Princeton Digital Group (PDG) today marked the commencement of construction of a 100 MW data center campus with a groundbreaking ceremony in Saitama City, north of Tokyo. This is the first project under Lendlease Data Centre Partners. Lendlease is developing and constructing the core and shell on a built-to-suit basis for PDG, on a long-term lease. PDG will invest in and operate the data center with its mechanical and electrical equipment. This data center will be one of the largest in Japan and is well poised to serve the hyperscale requirements of some of the world’s largest cloud, commerce and content companies. The gross development value of the project post completion of all phases will be in excess of A$800 million for Lendlease, while PDG is investing US$1 billion of capital in this new data center.

Andrew Gauci, Lendlease Managing Director, Japan & Head of Telecoms and Data Infrastructure, Asia; Rangu Salgame, Princeton Digital Group Chairman & CEO; Justin Gabbani, Lendlease Chief Executive Officer Asia; and, Varoon Raghavan, Princeton Digital Group Chief Operating Officer (L-R) at the groundbreaking ceremony in Saitama City, Japan.
Artist’s impression of the 100 MW data centre in Saitama City, Japan.

Located in Saitama City, 30 km north of central Tokyo, the facility is sited on approximately 33,000 sqm of land in one of the major commercial centers in the Greater Tokyo area. The phased development is planned to deliver more than 60,000 sqm of gross floor area and close to 100 MW of IT capacity.

Japan is the second largest data center market in Asia. Japan and Greater Tokyo are still in the early stages of growth, particularly in terms of entry and expansion of global hyperscalers.

The new facility will be built to the latest hyperscale design and standards, offering enhanced scalability, connectivity and reliability. Kajima Corporation has been appointed as contractor and Nikken Sekkei Ltd designer. This phase will be completed in 2024.

Andrew Gauci, Managing Director of Japan & Head of Telecoms and Data Infrastructure Asia:
“We are excited to commence construction of our first data center project under Lendlease Data Centre Partners, for a Pan-Asia market leader like PDG. This contributes to the Japanese government’s plans to increase data capability in the country and improve digital resilience. Data centers is also a key sector for Lendlease and we look forward to accelerating our growth in the data infrastructure sector across our strategic markets.”

Rangu Salgame, Chairman and CEO of Princeton Digital Group:
“Today marks an important milestone in PDG’s plans in Japan, which is an important and strategic market for our customers. The on-time commencement of construction is a validation of our approach of adopting the right model for each market such as working with leading developers like Lendlease for this project. Our continued track record of delivering on our commitments is a key factor in why PDG is a partner of choice for hyperscalers across the region.”

For more information please contact:
Lendlease
Shizuka Aone
Shizuka.Aone@lendlease.com
+81 80 3578 3971

Princeton Digital Group
Pritimukta Sarangi
pritimukta.sarangi@princetondg.com

PRecious Communications for Princeton Digital Group
PDG@preciouscomms.com

About Lendlease
Lendlease is an international real estate group with core expertise in shaping cities and creating strong and connected communities. Our purpose is Together we create value through places where communities thrive. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, Lendlease has operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Americas, with approximately 8,000 employees internationally. Our core capabilities are reflected in our operating segments of Development, Investments and Construction. For more information, please visit: www.lendlease.com

About Princeton Digital Group
Princeton Digital Group (PDG) is a leading developer and operator of Internet infrastructure. Headquartered in Singapore with presence and operations in China, Singapore, India, Indonesia, and Japan, its portfolio of data centers powers the expansion of hyperscalers and enterprises in the fastest-growing digital economies across Asia. For more information, www.princetondg.com or follow us on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/princetondg/).

Kobe Steel to launch “Kobenable Steel”, Japan’s first low CO2 blast furnace steel

Kobe Steel (KOBELCO) announces today that it will launch Kobenable Steel and become Japan’s first* provider of low CO2 blast furnace steel products with significantly reduced CO2 emissions during the blast furnace ironmaking process. The Company plans to start selling the new products this fiscal year.

Kobenable Steel is based on the KOBELCO Group’s CO2 Reduction Solution for Blast Furnace Ironmaking(1) announced on February 16, 2021. It utilizes a technology that can significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the blast furnace, which was demonstrated at the Company’s Kakogawa Works by charging the blast furnace with a large amount of HBI(2), produced by the MIDREX(R) Process(3) in the engineering business.

Kobe Steel plans to launch Kobenable Steel in two product categories:
– Kobenable Premier – 100% reduction rate of CO2 emissions per ton(4)
– Kobenable Half – 50% reduction rate of CO2 emissions per ton(4)

Kobenable Steel is available for all types of the Company’s steel products (steel sheet, steel plate, wire rod & bar products) manufactured at Kakogawa Works and the Kobe Wire Rod & Bar Plant.

Kobenable Steel maintains the same level of high quality as conventional products. Customers can continue to use blast furnace steel products that require high quality, such as special steel wire rods and ultra-high-tensile strength steel, which are the Company’s strengths.

For commercialization, reduction rates of CO2 emissions are calculated using the mass balance methodology(5) in which CO2 reduction effects are allocated to specific steel products, in accordance with ISO 20915. The calculation method and results are certified by the DNV Business Assurance services UK Ltd., a third-party certification body in the UK. At the time of the sale of the products, Kobe Steel will provide the customer with a third-party certificate issued by DNV and a low-CO2 steel product certificate issued by the Company(6).

Kobe Steel will contribute to the realization of a green society by providing Kobenable Steel low CO2 blast furnace steel as a pioneer in the steel industry.

The Kobe Steel Group (KOBELCO Group) will continue to provide solutions to the needs of society, by making the best use of the talents of its employees and technologies, in order to realize a world in which people, now and in the future, can fulfill their hopes and dreams while enjoying safe, secure and prosperous lives.

*According to the Company’s survey as of May 17, 2022.

(1) Press release announced on February 16, 2021
Kobelco Group’s CO2 Reduction Solution for Blast Furnace Ironmaking
https://www.kobelco.co.jp/english/releases/1207624_15581.html
(2) Hot briquetted iron (HBI) is direct reduced iron (DRI) in a briquetted form. Since hot DRI is not suitable for long-distance transportation, it is pressed into a compact solid (briquette) upon being discharged from the reduction furnace
(3) The MIDREX(R) Process is the leading direct reduced iron (DRI) making process, which produces approximately 80% of the world’s direct reduced iron with natural gas (approximately 60% of the world’s direct reduced iron at large). The MIDREX Process uses natural gas as the reductant and pellets made of iron ore as the source of iron to make DRI through the reduction process in the shaft furnace. In comparison to the blast furnace method, the MIDREX Process can reduce CO2 emissions by 20 to 40%.
(4) Compared with the fiscal 2018 levels
(5) The mass balance methodology is a method to allocate specific characteristics to a certain portion of products according to the input amount of raw materials with the characteristics when there is a mix of raw materials with and with no such characteristics (e.g., low CO2) in the manufacturing process. This approach has been used for products such as recycled plastics, bioplastics, electricity generated from renewable energy sources, and certified food products like cocoa and palm oil, for which separation of product properties are difficult due to the characteristics of the manufacturing process or the supply chain. In the ironmaking process, it becomes possible to reduce the amount of coke used and thereby reduce CO2 emissions by replacing a portion of iron ore with HBI, a raw material for steel that has already been reduced. Kobe steel employs the mass balance methodology to allocate the reduction effects to specific products and add environmental value to them.
(6) The upper limit on sales volume is set by the certification body. Please ask us about the details of sales quantity.

www.kobelco.co.jp/english/

Broad Homes Utilizes Intelligent Manufacturing System to Expand into Smart Buildings

Broad Homes and Tencent Cloud enter into strategic partnerships to develop new opportunities in smart buildings.

Hefei Binhu New Area Gui Yuan and He Yuan Affordable Housing Project

Utilizing Broad Homes’ whole-process digital information system and globalized, large-scale, specialized and intelligent assembly building manufacturing and service capabilities, as well as Tencent Cloud’s advantages in the field of all-true interconnection, digital twin, enterprise digitalization, AI platform and cloud services, the two companies ‘strategic cooperation will focus on market development, technical cooperation and product development to jointly innovate and create development opportunities.

Broad Homes’ Box MODUL apartment products

In the future, Broad Homes and Tencent Cloud will together help more traditional enterprises to transform and upgrade. The two companies will carry out targeted cooperation and R&D in the fields of smart parks, smart communities, and true interconnection. Efforts will go towards creating key cooperation projects in the fields of intelligent construction, smart cities, industrial towns and digital upgrading of enterprises, and replicate and promote them nationwide to achieve wider and deeper strategic cooperation.

The regulation and control policies of the real estate industry are expected to be continuously relaxed, and affordable rental housing will drive the demand for prefabricated construction.

In 2021, China continued to increase its real estate regulation policies, and the regulation methods, intensity and detail were significantly upgraded. With the intensive introduction of a series of regulatory schemes to strengthen the prudent management of real estate finance, the real estate market suddenly cooled down. By the end of 2021, investment in China’s real estate industry had recorded an annual growth rate of only 4.4%, lower than the 7% growth rate in 2020. In the first half of 2021, the number of new construction projects was relatively strong. However, due to the release of the pressure of regulatory measures in the second half of the year, the year-on-year decline was 11.4%.

Since this year, the government issued several easing policies for the real estate industry. On the one hand, it has reversed residents’ expectations, on the other hand, it has encouraged real estate investment and guided the industry to develop steadily in a positive and healthy direction through policies. For the prefabricated construction industry, the development goals of affordable rental housing, building energy conservation and green building have been issued recently, which provides a strong catalyst for industry development in the coming years. At the same time, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced clear targets for affordable rental housing in 40 key cities during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. It plans to build 1.9 million new affordable rental housing units by the end of this year and 6.5 million new units by 2025, hoping to resolve housing difficulties of 13 million people. According to market analysis, the new plan of affordable rental housing will benefit the construction demand for prefabricated buildings and accelerate industry development. The benefit comes from the two advantages of prefabricated buildings: 1) shorter construction cycle in comparison to traditional construction methods; 2) reduction in overall labor cost and environmental burdens. For developers, the shortening of the construction cycle is very important, because expedited delivery will allow earlier generation of rental income. According to the calculation of Everbright Securities, if the rental price of affordable housing is estimated to be 40 RMB/m2 per month, and if the construction period for building structure and decoration is shortened by 9 months, the corresponding rental value will be 360 RMB/m2. Under current industry circumstances with the price of prefabricated buildings equaling that of traditional buildings, there is no doubt that prefabricated building is a more valued method of construction.

In March this year, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development released the “14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Energy Efficient and Green Buildings”, further clarifying the country’s determination to promote high-quality development of green buildings. The plan states that by 2025, prefabricated buildings will account for 30% of newly built housing in cities and towns (the ratio was 9.1% in 2018). The policy clarified the need for green and low-carbon construction in the county and how assembled modular buildings can be well adapted to modernize the construction of farmhouses and villages to create green and low-carbon villages.

Specific targets for building energy efficiency and green building development in the “14th Five-Year Plan” period

Main Targets / By 2025

Energy saving reconstruction area of existing buildings (100 million m2) / 3.5
Construction area of ultra-low energy consumption and near zero energy consumption (100 million m2) / 0.5
Proportion of prefabricated buildings in new urban buildings / 30%
Proportion of electricity consumption in building energy consumption / 55%

Broad Homes is a leader in China’s prefabricated construction industry, promoting multifaceted growth.

Broad Homes is the first prefabricated construction stock to IPO in Hong Kong, which was officially listed on the Main Board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 2019. Broad Homes is a leading company in the prefabricated construction industry. The industry is highly policy-driven and increases in market demand help to drive down the costs of prefabricated construction. The current price competition in the prefabricated construction industry is fierce, and the price of some assembled buildings is getting closer to that of traditional cast-in-place constructed buildings, which is one of the signs of rapid industry growth.

After the impact of the COVID pandemic and overall industry downturn in 2021, Broad Homes recently submitted a solid financial report. As of December 31, 2021, Broad Homes reported total revenue of RMB 3.059 billion, up 21.8% year-over-year with solid operating cash flow and cash reserves. In addition, on January 17, 2022, Broad Homes reported that both new contracts signed and outstanding contracts at hand in 2021 reached record highs, with the total value of new contracts signed for the PC business in 2021 increasing by 20.9% year-on-year to RMB4.947 billion and the total value of outstanding contracts in hand increasing by 24.1% year-on-year to RMB6.448 billion, with solid profitability estimates.

In March 2021, Box MODUL (Broad Homes ‘modular integrated product) was officially released, which is a prefabricated and modular residential finished product produced by making full use of prefabricated construction technology. The product was launched in July and started to ramp up by September 2021. In less than six months, the product was delivered to 16 provinces, involving innovative application scenarios of cultural tourism, public, office, medical and other scenes. According to the data, as of December 31, 2021, Broad Homes obtained RMB154 million of newly signed contracts and realized RMB82 million of revenues. At the same time, the company’s B-House series have also achieved good growth in demand with the help of the recent frequent introduction of affordable rental housing policies and rural revitalization targets.

Weichai Power Announces 2021 Annual Results

  • Diversified business strengths continue to rise in operating results

Weichai Power Company Limited (Weichai Power or the Company, HKG: 2338.HK Shenzhen Stock Exchange stock code: 000338.SZ) announced its annual results for the year ended 31 December 2021 (the year) on 30th March, prepared in accordance with PRC accounting standards.

Steady growth in operating performance and continued to increase shareholder returns
During the reporting period, the Company focused on its established strategic objectives and main business, gave full play to its diversification advantages, continued to increase investment in research and development, accelerated breakthroughs in key core technologies, continuously strengthened its product competitiveness and improved operational efficiency, firmly stabilized its fundamental and supported its future development, to achieve the Company’s leading growth and gather a win-win situation.

In 2021, the Company overcame the adverse impact such as commodity price increases, with a steady increase in gross margin level and high turnover efficiency, demonstrating strong operational resilience. During the reporting period, operating revenue of RMB 203.55 billion was achieved, representing a year-on-year growth of 3.2%. Net profit attributable to the shareholders of the parent was RMB 9.25 billion, with an increase of 0.3% year-on-year. Basic earnings per share were RMB 1.1. The Company attaches great importance to shareholder returns and paid a total dividend of RMB 3.7 per 10 shares throughout the year.

Powertrain market share increased, and the product structure was significantly optimized
During the reporting period, the Company’s powertrain business maintained positive and steady development, with annual sales of 1.02 million engines, increased by 3% year-on-year. Sales of 1.153 million gearboxes, including 1.01 million gearboxes for heavy trucks, with the market share increased by 5.3 percentage points to 72.4% year-on-year. And sales of 938,000 axles, including 697,000 axles for medium and heavy truck.

The engine series had significant advantages in all fields, with the proportion of non-road engines in total sales increased by 5.3 percentage points to 34.4%, and maintaining the industry’s top position in the markets of loaders, cranes and bulldozers. Seizing the opportunity of upgrading emission standards, the Company’s China VI engine sale volume ranked top position in the industry, with 429,000 heavy truck engines sold and the market share increased by 2.8 percentage points year-on-year to 30.7%.

Strategic high-end products continued to gain momentum, achieving revenue of RMB1.41 billion, increased by 49.3% year-on-year. High-end hydraulics achieved domestic revenue of RMB560 million, increased by 11.8% year-on-year. Relying on the differentiated advantages of products, the Company has achieved rapid growth in market segments such as crawler excavation and agricultural equipment. The commercialization of CVT powertrain has been accelerated, and it has been matched to Lovol 240hp CVT intelligent tractor, achieving a 15% increase in overall operating efficiency and a 10% reduction in fuel consumption.

Technology leads industry development, diversified power all-round champion
The Company continued to increase its investment in research and development around its core technologies and products. During the reporting period, the amount of investment in R&D was RMB 8.57 billion, and the ratio of R&D investment to revenue was 4.2%. The Company has made multiple efforts to firmly keep traditional high-end power and new energy power in the forefront. For the first time in the world, the base engine thermal efficiency of diesel engines reached 51.09%, which can reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 10% respectively and reach a new peak in power; For new energy, the Company actively laid out multiple technical routes such as fuel cell, pure electric, hybrid, hydrogen internal combustion engine and methanol to meet the diversified needs of the market, among which the core performance indicators of hydrogen fuel cell products are industry-leading.

Outstanding achievements in new energy, accelerating industrialization
The Company has developed a full range of fuel cell product platforms from 30-200kW and released them for mass production. The new energy product testing center has obtained the laboratory accreditation certificate issued by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS), becoming the first laboratory in the industry to pass the testing certification for both hydrogen fuel cell and solid oxide fuel cell products at the same time. Relying on the National Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Center, heavy trucks equipped with the Company’s hydrogen fuel cell products have been used in ports, industrial parks, steel mills, highways, and other scenarios.

Heavy trucks pursued progress while ensuring stability, and overseas sales have increased significantly
In 2021, the Company continued to adjust and optimize its product mix by focusing on the upgrading of the China VI emission regulations and sold a total of 150,000 heavy-duty trucks. Seizing the opportunity of China VI switchover, the market share of major segments continued to increase. Port tractors, muck trucks and coal and gravel transporters continued to maintain leading position in the industry, and the 480 hp model for standard load logistics had the highest growth rate in the industry; Export volume grew significantly, with over 19,000 units exported in the year, increased by 72% year-on-year. Innovation-driven development, comprehensive shaping of new advantages of the heavy truck.

Intelligent logistics reaches new highs, profit contribution continues to increase
The Company’s Intelligent Logistics business achieved the high targets set, demonstrating its key position in the industry and contributing significantly more profit to the Company. During the reporting period, sales revenue of EUR 10.29 billion was achieved, increased by 23.4% year-on-year; Net profit of EUR 570 million increased by 169% year-on-year; Meanwhile, the increased share of supply chain solution business drove profitability to continue to improve, with the adjusted EBIT margin increased by 1.6 percentage points year-on-year to 8.2%. At the end of the reporting period, orders on hand amounted to EUR 6.66 billion, increased by 49.9% compared to the beginning of the year. With the completion of the new forklift plant in Jinan and the start of construction of a new plant for supply chain solutions, KION is fully committed to exploiting the business potential in the Asia-Pacific market in the future to promote sustainable and high-quality growth.

Technological revolution boosts industrial transformation, and make precise efforts to promote structural adjustment. Looking into the future, Weichai Power will continue to consolidate its dominant position in the main business, further enhance product competitiveness and market share, and lead the industry to the high-end. Weichai Power will scale up efforts to promote new business formats, significantly increase the profit contribution of large-bore engines, and achieve rapid production volume increase in hydraulic products. Weichai Power will promote synergetic development of export business, the steady growth of intelligent logistics, and the take-off of overseas business. Weichai Power will also accelerate the technological breakthrough and industrialization of the fuel cell industry chain to demonstrate the new advantages of its high-quality development.

About Weichai Power Co., Ltd (Stock Code: 2338.HK, 000338.SZ)
Founded in 2002, Weichai Power is one of the strongest comprehensive automotive and equipment manufacturing industry groups in China. It owns Shaanxi Heavy Duty Automobile Co.,Ltd., Shaanxi Fast Gear Co. Ltd., Weichai Torch Technology Co., Ltd., KION Group AG, and Linde Hydraulics GmbH & Co. KG, Dematic, and other dozens of high-quality companies in a cluster, building a new pattern of synergistic development of three major industrial segments, namely, the complete machine segment, the powertrain segment and the intelligent logistics segment, forming the most complete and competitive industrial chain in the national automobile industry. The Company was listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 11 March 2004 and returned to the mainland A-share market by way of a share swap on 30 April 2007.

Alpina Achieved a Record Set of Results for FY2021; Revenue Increased by 36.8% to S$51.89 Million with Net Profit Surging by 84.0% to S$9.28 Million

Alpina Holdings Limited (the “Company”, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), an established Singapore-based specialist in providing integrated building services (“IBS”), mechanical and electrical (“M&E”) engineering services, and alteration and addition (“A&A”) works to public and private sector projects, is pleased to announce that it has achieved a record set of results for the financial year ended 31 December 2021 (“FY2021”).

With predominantly public sector customers such as government ministries and statutory boards as well as public education institutions, the key contract highlights of the Group’s business segments are as follows:

> IBS – With specified contract period that generally ranges from 1 to 4 years, and in certain instances, up to 6 years.
> M&E – Rendered on specific project basis
> A&A – Term contracts with a fixed contract period ranging from 2 to 4 years

Revenue growth of 36.8% with strong performance from IBS and M&E business segments: With business operations normalising in FY2021 as the Singapore authorities embarked on a three-phased approach to resume activities safely after 1 June 2020, the Group’s IBS business segment contributed revenue of S$35.77 million, representing a growth of 21.5% in FY2021 as compared to FY2020. In addition, revenue from the Group’s M&E business segment increased substantially by 189.5% to S$12.57 million in FY2021 as there was significant work progress for four of its M&E projects in FY2021.

Despite lower grants received from the Singapore Government to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic in the second half of FY2021, the Group’s gross profits in FY2021 increased by 18.0% to S$12.87 million, as compared to S$10.91 million in FY2020, as M&E and IBS projects achieved significant work progress in FY2021.

The Group’s other income increased by S$3.0 million to S$3.4 million in FY2021 mainly due to a gain on the disposal of a property located at 32 Woodlands Industrial Park E1 (“32 Woodlands Property”). The Group’s administrative expenses rose by 30.2% to S$5.03 million in FY2021 mainly due to expenses incurred in connection with the Company’s listing on the SGX-ST.

Overall, the Group’s net profit attributable to shareholders of the Company surged 84.0% to S$9.28 million in FY2021 as compared to FY2020.

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents as at 31 December 2021: Operationally, the Group generated a substantial increase in net cash generated from operating activities of S$4.66 million in FY2021 as compared to S$1.81 million in FY2020.

The Group generated net cash generated from investing activities of S$3.47 million in FY2021, which was mainly due to proceeds from the disposal of the 32 Woodlands Property and the warehouse at 61 Woodlands Industrial Park E9, partially offset by the capitalisation of construction costs of the Group’s new office premises at 54 Senoko Road, Woodlands East Industrial Estate.

While the Group used net cash of S$7.47 million in financing activities during FY2021, the Group registered a net increase in cash and cash equivalents of S$0.66 million to S$2.26 million as at 31 December 2021, from a net cash balance of S$1.60 million as at 31 December 2020.

Strengthened balance sheet as at 31 December 2021: The Group’s total assets increased marginally to S$35.16 million as at 31 December 2021, with current assets of S$24.70 million and non-current assets of S$10.46 million. Major components of current assets were contract assets of S$14.57 million, trade and other receivables of S$7.01 million and cash and cash equivalents of S$2.26 million, while non-current assets comprise mainly of property, plant and equipment of S$9.74 million.

As at 31 December 2021, the Group’s total equity increased to S$17.98 million and there were reductions in current liabilities and non-current liabilities, which stood at S$12.75 million and S$4.43 million respectively. Major components of current liabilities were trade and other payables of S$8.31 million and borrowings of S$3.41 million, while non-current liabilities comprise mainly of borrowings of S$3.60 million.

Commenting on the Group’s FY2021 results, Alpina’s Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Low Siong Yong, said, “It has been a phenomenal year and the record performance was made possible by our continued focus on operational excellence and diligent cost management.

Our organic revenue growth in FY2021 was strong and it showcases the resilience of our value creation business model that focuses on public sector projects in Singapore.

With an established track record of strong execution and delivering on our commitments, we aim to build on this momentum to capitalise on the growth opportunities ahead of us.”

Mr. Low added, “With our successful listing in January 2022, we achieved another key milestone in our strategic roadmap. Moving ahead, we aim to expand our capabilities to offer differentiated offerings to strengthen our business model and develop new revenue streams.”

Awarded the Sixth Solar Leasing Tender under the SolarNova Programme by HDB: The Company recently announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Digo Corporation Pte. Ltd. (“Digo Corporation”), and a joint venture partner have been jointly awarded the sixth solar leasing tender under the SolarNova programme (the “Project”) by the Housing & Development Board (“HDB”). The Project, with a solar capacity of 70 megawatt-peak (“MWp”), aggregates public sector demand for the installation of solar panels across 1,198 HDB blocks and 57 government sites. The Project also includes the requirement to install smart electrical sub-meters at HDB blocks to monitor and analyse energy consumption patterns and the performance of common services at each HDB block. Installation of the solar photovoltaic panels is expected to begin in the 3rd quarter of 2022 and complete by the 1st quarter of 2025.

About Alpina Holdings Limited
(SGX Stock Code:ZXY / Bloomberg Code: ALPINA:Singapore)

Alpina Holdings Limited has a long operating history of over 17 years, specialising in IBS, M&E engineering services and A&A works for both public and private sector projects.

The Group’s projects are all located in Singapore with predominantly public sector customers such as government ministries and statutory boards as well as public education institutions.

The Group currently holds 15 Workhead registrations and 2 builder licences with the BCA. Among these, it has attained the highest grading of L6 for its registration under the ME15 (Integrated Building Services) and ME05 (Electrical Engineering) Workheads, which allow the Group to undertake projects in the public sector with no tendering limits and no project value limits under the respective Workheads.

Issued for and on behalf of Alpina Holdings Limited

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