Ann: Clough Appointed as Lead Engineer & Preferred EPC Contractor, page-51

One of the benefits of bringing a major partner on board is many majors have equipment discounts already negotiated with suppliers.

For instance one project I worked on a large multinational partnered in the JV as the process facility engineernig/design/delivery partner.
For each package - ie.
Steelwork, Motors, Valves, Vessels, MCCs, instruments, skids (compressed air, fuel, water treatment, chemical dosing)
This partner bought with it pre-agreed discounts.

I know that these can be substantial (ie. 60% off wholesale) because it encourages that customer to choose their equipment & also provides that JV partner with something to bring to the JV table.

Clough would have some leverage in this space but SMS would have more IMO - what they can't provide they would draw on equipment suppliers they know.

I've read in the past couple of weeks about both Vanadium & Titanium being at risk of serious supply disruption due to both being over-represented as Russian exports.

Perfect alignment of market factors (yet again) seems to be crashing into a seeming lack of urgency to get this project over final hurdles.