The Japanese International Co-operation Agency is looking into the possibility of providing funding to complete the Yadenitsa dam in Bulgaria. •State trustees in the Latvenergo state electricity utility in Latvia have recommended that Latvia’s hydro power plants remain under state control when Latvenergo is privatised, according to the Baltic News Service. They said that these plants should become subsidiaries of Latvenergo.
•Bobcat, a business unit of Ingersoll-Rand, is to purchase Sambron SA, a manufacturer of telescopic handlers, from the Fayat Group of France.
•US-based Atlas Copco has appointed Wendell Barnes as its communications manager. Barnes will replace Erika Kelly, who recently left the company. •The Construction Industry Manufacturer’s Association (CIMA) has also made some new appointments by naming Robert Fien, who is the chairman and chief executive officer of US-based Stone Construc-tion Equipment, as first vice chairman.
•Weil, Gotshal & Manges, an international law firm has announced that Bruce Johnston has taken up his position as partner and head of project finance with a team of thirty lawyers worldwide.
•Senior management appointments from the proposed demerger of UK National Power have been made. Ross Sayers is to be executive chairman of NPower and Brian Count (left) is to be the chief operating officer. The National Power group will be separated into two independent companies: International Power, an international power business, and Npower, an integrated UK energy business. Npower’s assets will include 10,000MW of UK generating plants; hydro electricity capacity; a 2.5M customer electricity and gas retail business; National Wind Power’s business; and a power station operation, maintenance and technology business.
