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New Zealand is the home of an important battleground for Chinese and German Tunnel Boring Machines. In this battle of Waterloo, who will be the loser Napoleon Bonaparte?
New Zealand's biggest tunnel project, the City Rail Link also becomes a latest battleground for Chinese and German tunnel boring machine manufacturers. Two companies have been shortlisted for the procurement of a 12 million dollars worth tunnel boring machine. China's CREG and Germany's Herrenknecht.
The fact is this is not `just another battle` for the either company. It is a very important battle. For many years, China has been a great market for the German Herrenknecht. But this has changed in recent years. Chinese started with ordinary soft/mixed ground tunnel boring machines but over the years moved to EPBs and most importantly to large-bores. There are no battlefields in China anymore. Not now and not in the future. China will not buy a foreign brand TBM unless no company in China can produce a similar one. Now that Chinese TBM manufacturers produce almost everything, China is a lost land for Herrenknecht, Robbins and whatever not-a-China-company. The battlefields moved to other countries.
New Zealand is important. It is a country with a European heritage and western culture. New Zealand is known in general to be more `loyal` to the West than the bigger brother Australia. Remember that when, at the end of WWI and around 1922, UK still wanted to continue its wars in South East Europe, their demands for more soldiers were rejected by all British colonies *even by Aussies!* but by New Zealand. Or to give a more recent example, when Trump asked the US allies not to use China's Huawei in their 5G telecom infrastructure, New Zealand was the most obeying country. No surprises there.
If you have not yet got the picture, if China's CREG gets the TBM contract, it will be a big loss for Herrenknecht. It would be too much to say that it would open the flood gates but it would certainly be a real game changer. It would be a "legalizer" for CREG not only for New Zealand and Australia but even for the Europe. And it will be a loss not only for Herrenknecht but also for Robbins etc. It is that important.
Auckland's City Rail Link project TBM is like Waterloo battle where Napoleon Bonaparte's ass was badly kicked. Which company will be the loser Napoleon Bonaparte? CREG or Herrenknecht? We will see in around one month.
Chinese companies produce tunnel boring machines but technologically they are not "there" yet.
I am sure Herrenknecht offer will be a competitive one both pricewise and also technologywise. I am sure the New Zealanders will choose Herrenknecht simply because it will be a better offer.
OK, there is a certain degree of Sinophobia in New Zealand, as well as in Australia. In addition to some anxiety about Indonesians (remember that `imminent Indonesian invasion of Australia`?).
This means not that New Zealand is childishly going to buy Herrenknecht only because it is European. It is a mature country which proved itself so most recently with their reaction to Christchurch mosque attack. It was much more mature than any European country. Unlike Europe's Christian Democrat governments, they did not say `but` and `if`. They were swift to do the right thing.
New Zealand will choose the best offer. It can be Herrenknecht or CREG. Please do not preemt it.
Well, if CREG is chosen, it will not be the first time that a Chinese-made TBM is chosen in New Zealand. Previously a Chinese TBM, I think a CREG, bored the Waterview Connection tunnel a few years back.
I believe a Herrenknecht TBM will serve the interests of New Zealanders best and I hope also Herrenknecht will be considering this and formulating their offer accordingly.
What did I say? New Zealanders did not surprise. They ordered Herrrenknecht...
https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/order-placed-for-new-zealand-tbm
Herrenknecht TBM for Auckland's Central Interceptor Tunnel has passed the Acceptance Test in Germany.
If anybody here thinks that New Zealanders are so naive that they would choose Herrenknecht just because it is a European company, you are wrong. You are damn wrong.
Have no doubt that this was a commercial decision and Herrenknecht had to give a good discount to get this sale closed. I am sure it was also a symbolically important sale for Herrenknecht.
cover tunnel photo by: Matt Brown from London, England / CC BY
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I bet Herrenknecht. New Zealanders think they are Europeans. They will buy Herrenknecht thinking they built it LOL.