The Kwale Mineral Sands Project was a very exciting one for B&W, since it is the first time that B&W has been involved on a project in Kenya for several years.
The project was located 10km from the Kenyan coast and 50km south of Mombasa, Kenya’s principal port facility.
The agreement between B&W and its Australian client, Base Titanium (with Ausenco as the EPCM), was signed in November 2012 and works commenced in April 2013.
The Kwale project comprised two areas, separated by the Mukurumudzi River, that contain concentrations of heavy minerals. B&W’s scope of works included all electrical and instrumentation reticulation work required for the titanium process plant to function, including MV cable work, plant lighting and the plant’s fibre optic communications network.
The project had a fast-track construction programme, and to adhere to Kenyan labour law B&W employed Kenyan nationals to make up the majority of the workforce required.
The company’s intention was to help grow skills levels within Kenya at the same time as completing its work on the project. B&W has also opened an entity in Kenya, which means that the company now has four legally registered foreign entities.
