Societe Generale De Research Articles

Status of SOC Development at Chaozhou Three-Circle

Chaozhou Three-Circle (Group) Co., Ltd. (CCTC) is a leading company in developing and manufacturing of electronic and ceramic components. Since more than 19 years ago, CCTC has been focusing on SOFC R&D and manufacturing, covering the complete value chain from powder to power. Based on anode-supported cell technology (ASC in fuel cell mode), the latest C2-stack in planar design using metallic interconnect exhibits a high efficiency of more than 69% (DC, LHV) at 1.5 kW. Long-term stack tests using pipeline natural gas have been conducted for 20,000 hours, with low degradation rates of below 0.4%/kh. In 2022, several 35 kW SOFC CHP systems were demonstrated with C2 stacks, which showed stable performance over 3,000 hours of operation. According to the verification test by Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A., the net AC efficiency of the system reached 64.1%, and the total efficiency was up to 91.2% after 1,000 hours of continuous operation. In parallel to the continuous progressing in SOFC, optimization in cells and stack designs dedicated for SOEC applications were also conducted in recent years. The status of both SOFC and SOEC development at CCTC will be presented.

THE CONCEPT OF PUBLIC POLICY IN INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION: REFUSAL OF THE RECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT OF FOREIGN ARBITRAL AWARDS EX OFFICIO IN UZBEKISTAN

This article deals with the themes of the execution of foreign arbitral awards in the Republic of Uzbekistan in the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. The discussions will be carried out based on the relevant laws of Uzbekistan in the field of international arbitration, as well as by exemplifying of “Somportex Ltd. vs Philadelphia Chewing Gum Corp,” “Parsons & Whittemore Overseas Co., Inc. v Societe Generale de I’Industrie du Papier (RAKTA),” “United World Ltd. Inc. v Krasny Yakor,” and “Richardson v Mellish.

Empirical Study on Weather Resistance of White Artificial Stones in Subtropical Island Climate

White building components, whether decorative or the overall structure, are susceptible to extreme weathering conditions, which affect the durability of the building’s external surface. In particular, white natural stone materials can provide buildings with beauty, durability, and sustainability, but this beauty is affected by key factors determining their weather resistance, namely physical properties such as porosity and acid and alkali resistances. As indicated by a past study, marble used as the exterior wall of a building in a similar environment will exhibit tarnishing after six months of weathering. Taiwan is a subtropical island, so the weather resistance of building materials to this environment is worthy of attention. As pointed out by the study, raw stone materials containing zirconium and silica can have greater weather resistance, do not easily change color, and possess good stress resistance properties. Focusing on this, this study attempted to identify stone materials with such compositions and sent samples to SGS (Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A., New Taipei City, Taiwan) for testing of weather resistance. This paper uses Spanish artificial stones for the study and observes the changes in the surface cleanliness on two buildings in Yilan County and Taipei in Taiwan after exposure to sun and rain. The experiments were conducted over two years. The study results showed that the artificial stones displayed no change in outward appearance under both rainy and acid rain environments. In Yilan, construction of an exterior wall was carried out in February 2018. The exterior wall used the white artificial stone directly from the manufacturer, and the black artificial stone with added paint for stone protection. After two months, the black artificial stone covered with paint exhibited a change in color and stains appeared on the surface, while the white artificial stone not covered with paint maintained the same cleanliness after two years. In Taipei, white Spanish artificial stone was used for the exterior wall of an entire building block in February 2020. After the frame was dismantled in September 2020, the color was found to be unaffected, being as pure white as it was when new. Therefore, this study selected Spanish artificial stone for the design of a building’s exterior wall, as the cleanliness of the stone surface is not affected and it has good applicability in rainy and acid rain island environments.

Generation of Calibration Charts for Horizontal Petroleum Storage Tanks Using Microsoft Excel

Petroleum and petroleum products are expensive commodities due to their global demand as a major source of energy. As a result of its expensiveness, there is need for proper inventory to know what is going in and coming out of the storage tanks. Proper inventory is achieved by accurate measurement through the generation of a calibration chart for every storage tank. Calibration chart (tank table) gives the needed information about the level (height) and the corresponding volume of the petroleum product in the storage tank. Geometrical method (dry calibration) is the most widely used method of computing tank table using the field data such as circumference, shell or plate thickness, length of barrel and lap/butt strap while taking the necessary correction factors into consideration. Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool in Microsoft (MS) office package used for computation and programming through the use of visual basic for application. In this study, MS Excel was used to generate two different charts which were compared with the charts generated from customized specialized calibration software from Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS software) and the results were found to be within the statistical controlled limit.

In defense of bilateral investment treaties

Anglo-Iranian Oil Co, United Kingdom v Iran, Judgment, Jurisdiction, ICGJ 188 (ICJ 1952) Permanent sovereignty over natural resources, United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1803 (XVII) (1962) Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3281 (XXIX) (1974) (ICSID) Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of other States (1965) The SS ‘Wimbledon’, United Kingdom and ors v Germany, Judgment (Merits), ICGJ 235 (PCIJ 1923) CME Czech Republic v Czech Republic, Partial award and separate opinion, IIC 61 (2001) Lauder v Czech Republic, Final Award, IIC 205 (2001) Maffezini v Spain, ICSID Case No. ARB/97/7, Decision on objections to jurisdiction, IIC 85 (2000) Plama Consortium Limited v Bulgaria, ICSID Case No. ARB/03/24, Decision on Jurisdiction, IIC 189 (2005) SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA v Pakistan, ICSID Case No. ARB/01/13, Decision on Objections to Jurisdiction, IIC 223 (2003) Salini Costruttori SpA and Italstrade SpA v Jordan, ICSID Case No. ARB/02/13, Decision on Jurisdiction, IIC 207 (2004) Energy Charter Treaty (Energy Charter Conference) (1994)

Jurisdiction and admissibility: are we any closer to a line in the sand?

While the distinction between the concepts of jurisdiction and admissibility in investment arbitration did not appear particularly significant to the first tribunals faced with the question, a review of several recent awards reveals that in the past few years, certain investment tribunals have referred to and acknowledged the importance of the distinction. In this context, this article aims to analyse whether a consistent approach to the application of the distinction has been adopted, and discusses the practical implications that the distinction (and any inconsistencies in its application) may have. Urbaser SA and Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia, Bilbao Biskaia Ur Partzuergoa v The Argentine Republic , ICSID Case No. ARB/07/26, Decision on Jurisdiction (2012) Antoine Goetz & Others and SA Affinage des Metaux v Republic of Burundi , ICSID Case No. ARB/01/2, Award (2012) Hochtief AG v The Argentine Republic , ICSID Case No. ARB/07/31, Decision on Jurisdiction (2011) Abaclat and Others v Argentine Republic , ICSID Case No. ARB/07/5, Decision on Jurisdiction and Admissibility (2011) SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance SA v The Republic of Paraguay , ICSID Case ARB/07/29, Decision on Jurisdiction (2010) SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance SA v Republic of the Philippines , ICSID Case No. ARB/02/6, Decision of the Tribunal on Objections to Jurisdiction (2004) Enron Corporation and Ponderosa Assets LP v Argentine Republic , ICSID Case No. ARB/01/3, Decision on Jurisdiction (2004) SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance SA v Islamic Republic of Pakistan , ICSID Case No. ARB/01/13, Decision of the Tribunal on Objections to Jurisdiction (2003) Methanex Corporation v United States of America , UNCITRAL, Partial Award (2002)

Design, Fabrication, and Experimental Validation of Novel Flexible Silicon-Based Dry Sensors for Electroencephalography Signal Measurements.

Many commercially available electroencephalography (EEG) sensors, including conventional wet and dry sensors, can cause skin irritation and user discomfort owing to the foreign material. The EEG products, especially sensors, highly prioritize the comfort level during devices wear. To overcome these drawbacks for EEG sensors, this paper designs Societe Generale de Surveillance S n}{}cdot n A n}{}cdot n (SGS)-certified, silicon-based dry-contact EEG sensors (SBDSs) for EEG signal measurements. According to the SGS testing report, SBDSs extract does not irritate skin or induce noncytotoxic effects on L929 cells according to ISO10993-5. The SBDS is also lightweight, flexible, and nonirritating to the skin, as well as capable of easily fitting to scalps without any skin preparation or use of a conductive gel. For forehead and hairy sites, EEG signals can be measured reliably with the designed SBDSs. In particular, for EEG signal measurements at hairy sites, the acicular and flexible design of SBDS can push the hair aside to achieve satisfactory scalp contact, as well as maintain low skin-electrode interface impedance. Results of this paper demonstrate that the proposed sensors perform well in the EEG measurements and are feasible for practical applications.

The Origins of the Umbrella Clause in the International Law of Investment Protection

There is continuing uncertainty surrounding the meaning of the so-called ‘umbrella clause’ which is found in many bilateral investment promotion and protection treaties. Umbrella clauses create a reciprocal international obligation owed by the Contracting States to each other that requires them, as host states, to observe obligations they have entered into with investors of the other Contracting State or with regard to their investments. The proper construction of the umbrella clause has become a matter of contention in a number of recent ICSID cases,1 most notably in two interim decisions on jurisdiction: the August 2003 decision in SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance SA v. Islamic Republic of Pakistan ,2 and the contrasting decision of January 2004 in SGS Societe Generate de Surveillance SA v. Republic of the Philippines? . 3This article does not comment directly on the meanings given (or not given) to the umbrella clauses in those recent decisions. The focus of this article is the history of the umbrella clause which, it is suggested, sheds some valuable light on the problems now being considered. Careful attention must be paid to the particular language of each clause and the structure of the relevant treaty, including the presence of compulsory dispute settlement provisions to discern the true intention of the Contracting States. Different provisions are sometimes indiscriminately and wrongly lumped together under the heading ‘umbrella clause’ but, for example, umbrella clauses may oblige a host state to ‘observe any obligation it may have entered into’, ‘constantly guarantee the observance of the commitments it has entered into’, or ‘observe any obligation it has assumed’ with certain investors or in respect of their investments. The origins of the notion that a treaty can be used effectively to elevate a contract between an investor and a host state to the …

Note on Societe Generale de Surveillance SA v. Pakistan, through Secretary, Ministry of Finance

ON 3 JULY 2002, the Pakistani Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the case of Societe Generale de Surveillance SA v. Pakistan, through Secretary, Ministry of Finance. The case has attracted considerable attention in the international arbitration community primarily because the Pakistani Supreme Court issued an order against Societe Generale de Surveillance SA (SGS) restraining it ‘from taking any step, action or measure to pursue or to participate or to continue to pursue or participate in the ICSID arbitration’ (at para. 82). The ICSID arbitration case referred to by the Supreme Court is SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance SA v. Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Case No. ARB/01/13). Both the Supreme Court judgment and the ongoing ICSID case can be cited as examples of the difficulties experienced by investors in initiating ICSID arbitration proceedings. The background of these cases is complex. In 1994, SGS entered into a contract with the Government of Pakistan for the assessment of all custom duties payable on goods entering Pakistan. The commercial value of the contract was substantial and its content controversial in Pakistan: it seemed unusual to delegate the sovereign function of assessing custom duties on imports to a contractor, let alone a foreign company. Subsequent to the dismissal of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's PPP Government inter alia on corruption charges on 5 November 1996, the Government of Pakistan terminated the contract with SGS on 12 December 1996. The termination was accepted by SGS on 23 December 1997. The contract incorporated an arbitration clause which inter alia provided that ‘any such dispute shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Act of the territory as presently in force. The place of arbitration shall be Islamabad, Pakistan’. Thus, the arbitration clause of the contract between SGS and Pakistan envisaged domestic arbitration proceedings under Pakistan's …

International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Washington, D.C. CASE No. ARB/01/13 SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A. (Claimant) versus Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Respondent): Decision of the Tribunal on Objections to Jurisdiction

International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Washington, D.C. CASE No. ARB/01/13 SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A. (Claimant) versus Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Respondent): Decision of the Tribunal on Objections to Jurisdiction

SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A. v. Islamic Republic of Pakistan (ICSID Case No. ARB/01/13): Procedural Order No. 2

SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A. v. Islamic Republic of Pakistan (ICSID Case No. ARB/01/13): Procedural Order No. 2

Vista Chemical protests Quebec plant subsidies

Vista Chemical has petitioned U.S. trade representative Mickey Kantor to intercede against plans by Quebec's government to subsidize new Canadian production of linear alkylbenzene (LAB). The International Chemical Workers Union has joined Vista in this action. Filed under section 409 (b) of the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, Vista's petition asks Kantor to find that the U.S. LAB industry will face likely harm from subsidized Canadian LAB exports. Vista and Monsanto are the only major U.S. LAB producers. Vista's request is only the second such petition ever filed under the U.S.-Canada free trade pact, and the first during the Clinton Administration. The nonferrous metal industry filed the first petition. At issue is Canada's first LAB plant, a 220 million-lb-per-year plant in Becancour, Quebec, near Montreal; it is scheduled to come on stream in 1995. The Spanish company PetroquImica Espannola (Petresa), a major LAB producer, will own 51% of the venture, and Societe Generale de ...

Towards an association Minorco-Union Minière?

Abstract For quite some time there have been rumours, both in Brussels and in London, about a possible association between Union Miniere and Minorco, two of the world's leading mining TNCs. Already in December 1981, at the time of a major restructuring of the Societe Generale de Belgique in the field of non-ferrous metals, its leaders stated that they were looking for an international mining partner for their subsidiary Union Miniere. Before examining the repercussions of the eventual association, the actors and their historical backgrounds are described.

Financial intermediaries and economic development: The Belgian case

Abstract The role of financial intermediaries in economic development has been highlighted, most recently, by John Gurley and Edward Shaw, who contend that most economists consider only real variables in their analyses of economic development while neglecting those which are strictly financial in nature.1 To remedy this neglect Gurley and Shaw have constructed a model which stresses the developmental aspects of financial intermediaries. This paper is an application of that model to Belgium in the 1830s. It first presents the model in skeletal form and then briefly describes the state of the Belgian economy during the 1830's. The focal point of the paper is an analysis of the activities of the Societe Generale de Belgique and the Banque de Belgique, the first large-scale financial intermediaries to engage in development finance.

Effect of Strain-Rate on the Tensile-Yield Stresses of Niobium and Tantalum

IN the course of a systematic study of the mechanical properties of the body-centred cubic transition metals which is now being made in this laboratory, measurements have been made of the effect of strain-rate on the tensile-yield stresses of commercially pure niobium and tantalum. Since these measurements have given interesting results, it is proposed to give a preliminary account of them here. Specimens of average grain diameter about 25µ were prepared from sintered niobium supplied by Murex, Ltd., and tantalum specimens having an average grain diameter of about 400µ from electron beam melted material supplied by the Societe Generale de Metallurgie, Hoboken.

Protection against the Abuse of Economic Power in Belgium: The Law of May 27, 1960

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Belgium's heavy industries-steel, coal, nonferrous metals, a'nd glass-were among the leading ones on the European continent. These industries owed their power to the financial support of mighty groups, such as the Societe Generale de Belgique, which exerted a dominant influence on the Belgian economy until 1935. In that year the separation of deposit banks from business banks, to prevent the investment of bank deposits in industry, severely diminished the economic influence of these holding companies. In addition to heavy industry, Belgium's economy is characterized by a very large number of small enterprises, each inadequately armed to protect itself against competition, especially from foreign quarters. Their plight has been made more acute by the lowering of tariff barriers within the Common Market. The Belgian Parliament has long tried to foster rationalization of the nation's economy by promoting mergers and concentrations through fiscal and other