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This measure is directed against countries described by the Kremlin as “unfriendly”, a long list that includes the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and the nations belonging to the EU. This new law was adopted to counteract the freezing, by the West, of Russian foreign currency and gold reserves due to the military offensive on Ukrainian territory.

The presidential decree that obliges buyers of Russian gas to pay for supplies in rubles came into force this Friday while the gas giant Gazprom informed its clients of the new mechanisms but without yet closing its pipelines.

“Gazprom unquestionably and fully complies with the requirements of Russian law. We have today officially sent notifications about the new ruble payment mechanisms to counterparties,” the company said in a statement, assuring that it remains a reliable partner. and “continues to export the gas to consumers.”

The most preferable variant

The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, stated that this measure, approved the day before by Russian President Vladimir Putin, was “the preferable and safest variant under current conditions”, after the West froze part of the Russian reserves in currency and gold for the military offensive in Ukraine.

Of course, he did not rule out that the payment mechanisms may vary “if conditions change.” “There’s nothing set in stone about it,” he said.

This measure is directed against the countries described by Russia as “unfriendly”, a long list that includes the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Ukraine, among others, without forgetting all the EU countries, many of which not only They are regular buyers of Russian gas, but rely heavily on these supplies.

Peskov sent a reassuring message by pointing out that the entry into force of the decree did not mean the immediate cut off of gas if it is not paid in rubles, since “payment for current supplies is not carried out now, but in mid-April or even in early May.

And it is up to Gazprom, he explained, to work with the buyers to fine-tune the payment mechanisms, which, according to Putin, would allow the West to deposit euros and dollars in Gazprombank, not included in the Western sanctions, which would be converted into rubles that the giant would charge. Russian gas.

Acceptable Terms

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Moscow’s proposed terms for gas sales “acceptable,” noting that the West pays Russia in foreign currency “and then freezes our accounts.”

Although Putin assured the day before that Russia offers “unfriendly countries” that will have to buy gas exclusively in rubles “a clear and transparent mechanism”, which does not convince importers.

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, whose country is one of the main buyers of Russian gas, which represents 55% of its consumption, reiterated the day before that Berlin would continue to pay for this fuel in euros and that he was not willing to change the form of payment. .

However, he ruled out the imposition of an energy embargo against Russia due to Germany’s dependence on gas from Moscow, especially when there are no conditions to supply these supplies, a position supported by his Austrian counterpart, Karl Nehammer.

Russian gas is of great importance to Europe, which imported 155 billion cubic meters of gas in 2021, 40% of total consumption.

Wet powder

In this context, the banking pirouette that allows customers to pay in foreign currency and Gazprom to collect in rubles, could be, according to what Mijaíl Krutikhin, an expert on oil and gas issues, told Efe in a telephone conversation, a sign that “the plan of Putin has failed.”

This announcement “was a step of patriotic propaganda”, but the Kremlin quickly understood that “the measure would have a disastrous effect on the country’s budget”, according to the analyst.

“Hence, to save face, they have designed a mechanism that will allow consumer countries to continue paying in dollars and euros,” said the expert.

In this sense, he insisted that “nothing will change” for importers of Russian gas, that they will not even have to open an account in rubles at Gazprombank, the bank authorized to receive payments in foreign currency and that it will be in charge of converting rubles currencies.

“Perhaps the only modification that needs to be made in the contracts refers to the name of the bank in which the payments are made, if it is not Gazprombank,” he ventured.

AGA Parts (Brooklyn, NY) supplies genuine and aftermarket spare parts for special-purpose machinery produced by leading manufacturers: Caterpillar, Cummins, Komatsu, Hitachi, CNH, Atlas Copco, John Deere, Volvo, Sandvik, and JCB.

AGA Parts offers an online catalog featuring extensive part number lists. Its auto-search system based on part numbers enables instant search of specific parts for the following gear:

• Key systems and units (engines, transmission, hydraulics, fuel system, and brake unit);
• Trucks and dump trucks;
• Construction machinery (excavators, bulldozers, loaders, lifting cranes);
• Roadbuilding equipment (asphalt and concrete pavers, road rollers, graders, scrapers);
• Special forestry equipment (harvesters, forwarders, feller bunchers);
• Agricultural equipment (combines, tractors, and attachment tools);
• Special-purpose machinery for mining and processing industry (draglines, drilling rigs, crushers and screening machines, underground loaders and dump trucks).

“AGA Parts provides spare parts to customers from around the globe. Currently, our company supplies parts to 60 countries, including the UAE, Australia, Russia and India. About 100 clients are consulted by our department on a day-to-day basis. Some AGA Parts managers are not only fluent in English, but also boast of impeccable Spanish, German, China, and Turkish. Clients can get info on cooperation terms around the clock – our customer support center operates 24/7 ”, states Anastacia Mitchell, a client development manager at AGA Parts.

You can make a spare parts supply request online by filling out an electronic form on the AGA Parts website. Incoming requests are promptly reviewed. Perspective customers receive free price offers for the requested spare parts via emails within 24 hours. Before order batching starts, managers and client reach an agreement upon delivery timeframes, total spare parts cost, and other important aspects. In-depth information on cooperation terms can be obtained on the AGA Parts website or from our managers.

AGA Parts offers:

•          Affordable pricing policy;

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•          5 languages to communicate with customers;

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Official website of AGA Parts Co.: https://www.aga-parts.com/

In the hope of mitigating damage to nature, architects are experimenting with “green” materials and creating fantastic designs for houses of the future.

Tree house

Dutch architectural firm Waterstudio has developed a project called Sea Tree. The project is an artificial habitat for plants and animals in danger of extinction outside the

The structure is anchored to the seabed. There will be an above-water part and an underwater part. Birds, fish, rodents and insects will be able to live in the tree-house

Yacht house

The design company Arkup has created a solar-powered yacht house with special panels on the roof. It also has a local waste management system

The yacht house has a special purification system that can turn sea or rain water into fresh and drinkable water. The house can withstand winds of 251 km/h, which is equivalent to a category 4 hurricane

Floating city

Danish architecture firm BIG has developed a concept for a floating city of about 10,000 inhabitants. The project, called Oceanix City, will consist of six islands, each comprising six plots of land, which form villages

Houses will be built from natural and sustainable materials such as timber and bamboo. Oceanix City could save coastal cities, 90 per cent of which face rising sea levels and partial submersion by 2050

A hurricane-proof house

North Carolina-based design company Deltec Homes is developing residential homes designed to withstand hurricanes. The energy-efficient buildings, called Deltec, are circular in shape, allowing wind to circle around the structure instead of concentrating on one side.

Deltec is made of framed lumber that can withstand up to 1,200 kg per square inch – twice as much as conventional material

A plant-based home

British architect Maria Vergopolou has unveiled a micro-home project called Cocoon BioFlos, which people will be able to grow themselves. The houses will be made of thin fibres of bio-plastic produced from sunflower, potato and apple

The internal layout of each home will be tailored to the needs of its occupants. The buildings will be able to adapt to all climatic zones

Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal find their signature style in West Africa

The Pritzker Prize is the most prestigious award in the field of architecture. It is awarded annually and is considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize. It was awarded to French architect duo Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal in 2021. In addition to recognition, they received $100,000 and bronze medallions.

Innovation is the main criterion for the award.

Lacaton and Vassal have an unusual architectural handwriting, shaped by their work in Africa.

Who are they – the top architects of 2021 – and what makes their projects unique?

After graduating from architecture school, Vassal moved to Nigeria to work on urban planning. Anne Lacaton paid him frequent visits. In an interview with Oris in 2003 Lakaton recalled that the simple thatched-roofed, earth-built houses simply turned their minds. Both were struck by the architectural simplicity and the economy of resources in building houses in the desert landscape of the country.

“After a few months of living in Nigeria, we were completely freed from what we had been taught. We started to observe and analyse the details, the way people lived in that context,” Lacaton recalled.

In Niamey, Nigeria’s capital, Lakaton and Vassal built their first project together, a thatched hut made of local bush material. After that project, they made a promise to themselves – not to destroy what can be reconstructed and made sustainable, and to respect the luxury of simplicity.

On their return from Nigeria in 1987, Lacaton and Vassal founded the architectural firm Lacaton & Vassal in Paris.

Simplicity, functionality, spaciousness and the presence of nature were the ground rules on which the architects’ work was subsequently based.

In France, they often experiment with greenhouse technology to create bioclimatic conditions. The architects first used such technology in 1993 when they designed the Latapie house in Floirac. Solar ventilation, a botanical garden and solar shading helped them create a controlled microclimate.

“We studied the greenhouses of botanical gardens, the spectacularly fragile plants, and the play of light in the garden, as well as the ability to simply change the climate,”l Review.

Lacaton told The Architectura

The French duo of architects are committed to preserving the natural environment and old architecture.

For example, they built a private residence in Cap-Ferrat on an undeveloped site along the Bay of Arcachon in order to change the environment as little as possible. Instead of cutting down 46 trees on the site, the architects restored the natural vegetation, elevated the house and placed it in the middle of wooden trunks.

“The past has value, you have to take the time and effort to look at it carefully. That way you can understand how to change an object while retaining values from its past life,”

explains Lakaton.

Lacaton and Vassal are the founders of a new approach to the restoration and construction of social housing.

The architects rejected projects involving the demolition of social housing. Instead, they turned their attention to the interior renovation of dilapidated buildings and the expansion of interior spaces.

Together with the French architects Frédéric Druot and Christophe Hueten, they restored 530 flats in three dilapidated buildings in the Grande Parc in Bordeaux, France. They managed to improve the technical functions of the buildings and avoid having to displace the occupants during the renovation.

“We couldn’t do otherwise. We went to places where the buildings were to be demolished and met people, families who were attached to their homes. More often than not, they were against demolition,” says Vassal.

This innovative renovation of three large blocks of social housing won the European Union’s 2019 Mies van der Rohe Award for Contemporary Architecture. The building was praised for ‘radically improving the space and quality of life of its residents’ and for optimising their economic and ecological cost of living.

With their love of simple materials, the architects are building the most spacious living spaces possible at an affordable price.

They are currently working on the conversion of a former hospital in Paris into a 138-unit mid-rise apartment building, and on private housing projects in Belgium and Germany.
“Good architecture is a place where something special happens, where you want to smile just because you’re here,” shares Vassal. – “It’s also a relationship with the city, with a space that shares its emotions.

If you live at 432 Park Avenue in Manhattan, you know you have extra-luxurious living space, and your neighbours are just as nice: Singer Jennifer Lopez, a member of the family that owns the tequila brand Jose Cuervo, Saudi tycoon Fawaz Al Khokair, and other millionaires.

At 426 metres, it is the third tallest building in New York City and the tallest residential building in the world. The views from the top floors, 85 in all, are breathtaking, as are the prices for apartments, 104 in total, which start at several million and end in tens of millions of dollars (the most expensive at $95 million is Fawaz al-Hokair’s penthouse with six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a library).

The skyscraper, designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly on the principle of “pure geometric shape” and built for $1.25 billion, has everything you could wish for, from its own restaurant and fitness centre with sauna and swimming pool to a golf course.

But who would have thought the owners of the apartments would sue the developers for defects in the skyscraper’s construction, and the defects are about a thousand and a half, from stuck lifts and leaking ceilings to monstrous, inexplicable noises.

And yet the skyscraper was only commissioned six years ago, and the flats in it were selling for tens of millions of dollars.

Complaints from tenants and accusations of incompetence by the builders and the company that manages the property were first reported by the New York Times back in February 2021.

The article reported how, in 2018, a leak on the technical floor put two lifts out of service for weeks. Several flats were also flooded, and at least one potential buyer turned down the deal after learning of it.

Among other things, residents of the prestigious properties complained of lifts getting stuck in high winds as a result of the shaft deflecting, creaking noises made by the entire structure, unpleasant vibrations, as well as explosions in the electrical plumbing and the rubbish chute, which, according to one flat owner, made a bomb-like sound, making them shudder every time.

A study commissioned by a group of tenants found that 73 per cent of the building’s electrical, plumbing and mechanical infrastructure did not comply with design plans.

Residents also complained about the exorbitant prices of restaurant services, which are included in the rent. They jumped from $1,200 in 2015 to $15,000 in 2020. The cost of insurance has risen by 300% in just two years.

As a result, residents of the troubled skyscraper have filed a $250 million class action lawsuit in New York Supreme Court against the developers and developers, CIM Group and Macklowe Properties, citing life-risk issues as the cause. However, the amount quoted does not include possible punitive damages, nor the size of individual claims that may subsequently be brought.

“The owners paid tens of millions of dollars for the flats, but instead of the super-luxury apartments they were promised, they were sold a mess of breakdowns and defects,” reads the letter accompanying the lawsuit.

For their part, the developers insist in their own statement that 432 Park Avenue is considered one of Manhattan’s finest residential properties and an invaluable addition to the New York skyline.

To make matters worse, they cite the fact that the management company’s access to some flats is restricted, preventing them from fixing problems, and point to “some particularly vociferous tenants”.

Meanwhile, since the beginning of 2021 and when the lawsuit was filed, only one flat sale has taken place in the skyscraper, although buyers were offered a choice of 11 apartments.

CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI) announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 90% interest in Sampierana SpA, a privately held Italian company specializing in the design and manufacture of earthmoving machinery, undercarriage and spare parts. Within four years of closing, CNH Industrial will have full control of the company. The €101.8 million deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.

“This strategic acquisition will further accelerate the profitability of our construction equipment business. Sampierana’s unique portfolio will strengthen our position in the most important market segments, and dealers and customers will have access to industry-leading products backed by our brand, dealer network and manufacturing expertise,” said Scott Wine, CEO of CNH Industrial. – I want to thank Construction President Stefano Pampalone and his team for bringing this transaction to completion and for their excellent work in transforming the construction side of our business, reducing our environmental footprint and returning it to profitability – an impressive achievement given the challenging market conditions.”

The Sampierana Group, which has built an excellent reputation in the construction sector with its line of Eurocomach mini and midi excavators, performed well compared to last year, particularly in Europe. Sampierana’s reliable, high-quality and innovative products are widely recognized. The company’s impressive product line, extensive customization options and existing electrical prototypes fit perfectly with CNH Industrial’s customer-focused and sustainable development approach. The agreement also means a significant expansion of the product range and technology offered by the group.

This acquisition will enable CNH Industria’s construction equipment division to integrate Eurocomach mini and midi excavators, Sampierana undercarriages and spare parts into its current range alongside the products of existing third-party original equipment manufacturer partners. The agreement confirms CNH Industrial’s commitment to invest heavily in its own construction equipment production and to develop it further, improving its position in the highly sought-after mini and midi excavators market.

Sampierana’s headquarters and production sites are located in Italy.

The International Union of Architects (UIA) together with UNESCO has chosen the Danish Copenhagen as the capital of world architecture for 2023. For the city, the new status means recognition of outstanding construction solutions, taking into account modern requirements for environmental friendliness, reports ArchDaily.

The world capital of architecture is chosen every three years. According to the rules of the competition, in 2023, Copenhagen will host the 28th International Forum (28th World Congress) to discuss the organization of the urban environment. A series of events is planned, focusing on how architecture helps to achieve environmentally friendly and human-friendly development of large megacities.

“Our partnership with UNESCO reinforces the role of urban design to promote cultural values in society. Architects see the world for what it is,” said UIA President Thomas Vonie.

The International Union of Architects was founded in 1948 and is based in Paris. UIA members are engaged in promotion of new concepts and technologies in construction and render assistance to professional communities all over the world. The city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) was designated as the previous capital of architecture. The forum was held in mid-July 2021 in an online format because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In mid-July the World Design Capital (WDC) competition short-listed Moscow with Mexico’s Tijuana and San Diego in California (USA) in the efficiency of street furniture for economic, cultural and ecological development of the community.

STEYR, New Holland Agriculture, CASE Construction Equipment and FPT Industrial have won prestigious Good Design Awards 2020

Agricultural machinery brands STEYR and New Holland Agriculture, CASE and FPT Industrial, members of CNH Industrial N.V. Group, have won prestigious Good Design Awards 2020. have won the prestigious Good Design Awards 2020, which recognize manufacturers whose products and concepts are recognized as outstanding in their respective fields. The awards are co-founded by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Center for the Study of Architecture, Design and Urban Studies.

Innovative and cutting-edge solutions in industrial and graphic design from around the world are selected for the highest aesthetic in terms of design, new technologies, forms, materials, construction, concept, functionality, practicality, energy efficiency, and sustainability. A record number of candidates from 48 countries participated in the competition. A jury of design professionals, leading industry experts, trade journalists and critics chose the following four products: the STEYR Konzept concept tractor, the New Holland BigBaler 1290 High Density baler, the CASE Project Zeus all-electric backhoe loader concept and the Cursor X engine concept from FPT Industrial.

STEYR Konzept concept tractor

The STEYR brand is awarded the Good Design Award for its creative and practical concept – a vivid representation of the future development of tractors. Expressive design offers real advantages in a variety of areas, from performance and visibility to environmental friendliness. For example, the minimalist interior of the cab displays information on transparent screens for maximum visibility and increased operator comfort and productivity.

This award also celebrates Konzept’s forward-looking technical solutions: including an innovative hybrid power system that combines a conventional engine, generator and electric drives. The concept tractor was developed in collaboration with powertrain brand FPT Industrial. The modular hybrid drive system perfectly combines compactness, efficiency and clever engineering. It allows the use of different energy sources depending on the application. This enables the tractor to operate quietly without producing emissions.

New Holland BigBaler 1290 High Density Bale Baler

The New Holland BigBaler 1290 High Density baler has won an award for its forward-looking design and high operating efficiency. The designers drew inspiration from nature itself – the image of field-grown ears swaying in the wind – when creating the machine’s sleek lines that reflect its functionality.

The BigBaler 1290 High Density significantly increases the quality of the bale chambering process. The patented Loop Master knotter with its proprietary double tying technology, distinguished by a second loop-shaped knot, keeps trimmings out of the bale and in the field and saves up to 6 km or 46 kg of twine per season.

CASE Project Zeus all-electric backhoe-loader concept

The industry’s first all-electric backhoe-loader CASE Project Zeus is a unique prototype with a clean and ascetic design that balances CASE’s engineering tradition with the construction industry’s commitment to sustainability. It produces no emissions, offers the same power and performance as standard diesel-powered machines, and features significantly lower operating costs. The CASE 580 EV electric backhoe loader is scheduled to go into series production in early 2021.

Members of the jury were impressed by how the concept inherits a design tradition going back to 1957 with its “clean” workmanship and appearance. The machine won the award for its innovative lighting design elements, sharp yet neat lines and contours, and modern interface and intuitive operation.

FPT Industrial Cursor X engine concept

The FPT Industrial Cursor X engine concept, symbolizing the brand’s vision of innovation, is designed to preserve our planet. The Cursor X is based on the philosophy of the four “M’s”: Multi-power, the ability to run on the greenest fuel – electricity generated by hydrogen fuel cells from natural gas or stored in batteries; Modular, ease of assembly and integration into the vehicle; Multi-application, suitable for driving different machines – from agricultural and construction machinery to commercial vehicles and power plants; and Mindful, the self-learning function and extensive.

The Cursor X concept won an award for taking the “engines out from under the hood” and turning them into a work of design art.

With the help of special equipment it is possible to implement any idea of a landscaper. The most commonly used equipment for work on countryside plots are mini excavators and mini skid steer loaders.

Mini excavators have become so popular due to their versatility and reliability. Due to a huge number of interchangeable attachments, mini excavators JCB are used for a full list of landscaping work, construction tasks and landscaping. In addition, the small size allows the most difficult operations in tight spaces.

Regardless of its size and not much weight, JCB and BobCat mini-machines are capable of lifting the soil to a great height during loading and unloading operations. In addition, the low weight allows the use of rubber tracks, so paths and lawns in the country side will not be damaged. High power and load capacity combined with the depth of digging, also speaks in favor of the use of machinery in landscaping. When implementing the ideas of a landscaper mini excavators are equipped with soil aerators, designed for sorting the soil of boulders and construction waste.

Mowing old stumps, crushing and removing boulders, drilling wells, trenching for utilities, backfilling and compacting pits – no task can be solved without mini excavator.

JCB mini excavators are used for a wide range of works from excavating pits for foundations and digging soil for a pond or swimming pool to clearance of the territory on the site. Due to the design of the excavator, which significantly reduces the noise level at work, these machines can easily be used in populated areas.

On March 29, 2021, DLG (German Agricultural Society), which organizes Agritechnica, the world’s leading trade fair for Agricultural Machinery in Hannover, Germany, announced that the 2021 edition of the fair will be postponed.

According to the attached statement, DLG has communicated, “Due to the continuing Corona pandemic also As vaccination programs progress both in Germany and abroad, DLG, the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association and the Agritechnica exhibitor advisory board have come to the conclusion that there is currently insufficient certainty for the planning of the world’s leading exhibition in November. The new dates for Agritechnica are 27 February to 5 March 2022. With the four-month postponement of the trade fair, the DLG, as the organizer, as well as the members of the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association, believe that the participating companies have the required planning certainty.

Prior to the DLG’s announcement, Kubota already had doubts about its participation in FIMA 2022 in view of the pandemic developments, mobility restrictions and the vaccination rate in Spain. Kubota always puts the safety of customers and employees as a top priority.

In this context, and in view of the recent DLG announcement, Kubota does not consider it feasible to participate in two major European machinery shows on the same or similar dates.

Therefore, Kubota will prioritize participation in the Agritechnica trade fair in 2022 and will not attend the 2022 edition of FIMA.

“This announcement is specific to the 2022 edition of FIMA. In view of Kubota’s long history in Spain and our continued investments in the Spanish market, we remain open to consider participation in future editions of FIMA, by which time we hope to have overcome this challenging pandemic situation,” said German. Martínez Sainz-Trápaga, President of Kubota Spain.

About Kubota

Kubota is a leading manufacturer of agricultural equipment, construction equipment, lawn mowers and industrial engines since 1890. With global headquarters in Osaka, Japan, offices in more than 120 countries and more than 41,000 employees in North America, Europe and Asia, Kubota had revenues of $17.3 billion in 2020. Although its main product line is agricultural equipment, Kubota also produces a wide range of products such as city water purification systems, irrigation systems, piping systems, roofing and housing construction, and large subway valves. All Kubota parts ordered from AGA Parts are guaranteed to have high-quality and full compatibility.

Our Mission Statement

Our mission, “For Earth, For Life,” speaks to our commitment to the conservation of the environment, while assisting in the production of food and water supplies, which are vital to meeting the needs of our society as the world’s population continues to grow. This mission is fulfilled every time a Kubota tractor harvests the land to produce food, or when one of our construction crews digs to transport water or provide shelter.