SPJV constructs a modern oasis
in Namibia
A new township appeared to rise from the desert
to accommodate the employees of the new Skorpion Zinc Mine, Anglo Base
Metals’ US$450M project in Namibia. SPJV, a joint venture between
BATEMAN and SNC-LAVALIN Inc., managed the construction of the area infrastructure
which included the Rosh Pinah township development, an airport and,
at the mine, a construction camp for 4 500 people, offices for the project
staff, a construction store and permanent mine buildings.
The mine buildings consisted of an administration
office block of 2 500 m², an engineering workshop, a store, laboratory,
production control room, gate house, change house and a mine depot consisting
of offices, haul-truck workshop, gate house and change house.
The Rosh Pinah township development – a major
extension to an existing township in the area – comprised some
190 houses of five different types ranging from family accommodation
through to single apartments. In addition, a 10-roomed guesthouse and
a shift-workers’ village with a hotel and 164 single units were
constructed, while leisure and sporting facilities and full township
services such as lighting, roads, water and sewage were supplied. SPJV
provided 12 km of new road and upgraded 12 km of existing road to provide
access between Rosh Pinah and the mine.
The Aruba building system was used to construct the
houses and guest house. Walls of the structures were built with polystyrene
blocks which were filled with concrete after placement and then plastered.
This system has good insulating properties, which is particularly beneficial
in the hot, desert climate of Rosh Pinah.
Rosh Pinah had an existing but unregistered airport
and therefore a new airport closer to the mine – approximately
6 km away – was built with a 1 750 m long runway, terminal building
and the landing facilities to handle up to 44-seater aircraft. The airport
has been registered with the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and had
full-time immigration and customs services in operation throughout the
duration of the project.
Three hundred kilometers from the Skorpion mine, full
warehousing and associated offices were constructed at the coastal town
of Luderitz for accommodating sulphur imports, required in the processing
of the zinc ore by the mine, and exports of the final zinc product.
For more information, please contact
Eddy de Beer, BATEMAN Civil Engineer,
on +27-11-899-2764 or
email eddy@bmi.co.za.
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