“A forward-looking project like this is simply a joy”
Andreas Oel is team leader at SERV and has been involved in the project for long-standing customer Bartholet from the very beginning. The project is due to be completed in 2025. In this interview, Andreas tells us about the challenging but also the most impressive moments during this project.
Andreas, you and your team have supported the Swiss exporter from the very beginning. What does that mean?
Bartholet is a long-standing customer and has been a leading international company in the field of ropeway systems for over 60 years, known for its innovative ideas and developments. We were already involved in the initial negotiation phases. This was an advantage, as it allowed us to put the financing model on a solid footing and, after a thorough review of the deal, we were able to provide our support very quickly.
What were the particular challenges in this project?
The challenges were mainly due to the specific location. The ropeway is being built in Varanasi. This is a major historical city (UNESCO World Heritage Site) with over one million inhabitants and five times as many visitors per year. The construction of a ropeway in such a city naturally entails an assessment of the environmental and social risks. And different factors are taken into account here than for traditional construction in the mountains. Various loan securities were also structured as part of the financing.
Why was a ropeway chosen?
Varanasi is affected by traffic problems and environmental pollution. The government was looking for a new, efficient means of public transport and decided in favour of ropeway technology as part of a holistic mobility concept. The decisive reasons were, for example, the short construction time, the positive energy footprint, the low investment and maintenance costs and the minimal space requirements. In addition, a ropeway naturally also offers a completely new perspective on a city as lively as Varanasi!
You were in India and saw the progress of the project. What particularly impressed you?
The entire project is impressive, from the planning to the final implementation on site. When the ropeway is finished, the sunny yellow cabins will simply float over the city and the streets – up to 40 metres above the rooftops of the buildings, without any timetable and perfectly integrated into the historic cityscape.
A forward-looking project like this is simply a joy. During our visit to Varanasi, I was able to meet two technicians from Bartholet who are supporting the project on site with their expertise. Speaking to the two specialists, it quickly became clear that such a project also offers them an extraordinary opportunity. SERV’s task is to insure against economic and political risks in export projects and thus contribute to the creation and preservation of jobs. It was unbelievably great to see these two young technicians fully dedicate themselves to this type of project under challenging conditions and benefiting from our insurance services in the background. During the conversation, they suddenly said “thank you”. I was confused for a moment, but they actually thanked SERV for supporting such projects and making it possible for them to have such an exciting job together with the exporter. That touched me.
Does this mean that SERV has fulfilled its mission of “securing and creating Swiss jobs”?
Absolutely. Mission accomplished. (laughs)
Client success stories
