The Civil Engineering Contractor February 2018 | Page 10

INFRASTRUCTURE AFRICA

WEST AFRICA

SENEGAL

Senegal ’ s largest airport

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Built on a 4 500ha land area , AIBD will have an initial capacity of three million passengers per year , increasing to 10 million .

Blaise Diagne International ( AIBD ) will take over services from Senegal ’ s flagship airport , Léopold Sédar Senghor International , in capital city Dakar , which is due to cease operations once the project is completed . Unlike many airports in Africa that are normally located near the capital , this new airport is located in rural Diass , about 40km east of Dakar . Its location was based on the need for space and diversification of the economy out of the capital Dakar . “ The idea is to see if we could drag economic activities out of Dakar ,” says AIBD deputy director general El Hadji Ibrahima Mané . “ New infrastructure is essential to this ambition ,” he added . Built on a 4 500ha land area , AIBD will have an initial capacity of three million passengers per year , increasing to 10 million .

The new facility is also designed to accommodate larger planes like the Airbus A380 . The airport project will cost USD400-million . Mooted in 2007 , the construction of the airport has been hit by delays related to land compensation and other financial issues , including challenges with the Saudi contractor who was dismissed and replaced with a Turkish company to finish the works .

EAST AFRICA

ERITREA

USD98.6m power plant realised in Eritrea

Hirgigo Power Plant , a project worth USD98.6-million , has recently been set up in Eritrea to boost the electric power supply by 60 %. Implementation and upgrade of the project to 46MW will be undertaken by Chinese company SFECO . At the handing over ceremony , in which Abraha Asfeha , minister of Public Works ; Hagos Gebrehiwe , head of PFDJ Economic Affairs ; and other senior government and Front officials were present , Gen . Sebhat Efrem , minister of Energy and Mining , said the installation of the generators is part of the huge investment that the government is making to ensure power supply in the country . He also commended the Chinese company for the timely implementation of the project and applauded them for maintaining the existing generators in partnership with Eritrean experts . The ambassador of the People ’ s Republic of China , Yang Zigang , indicated that the installation of the two new generators attests to the growing mutual cooperation between the two countries . The general manager of SFECO , Chen Yu , said that the company is proud to participate in the development programmes in Eritrea and commended the support they have

Mereja . com received from the different stakeholders . In conclusion , Abraham Woldemicael , general manager of Eritrean Electric Corporation , said that the installation of the generators , coupled with the ongoing other projects , will contribute to augment the capacity of power supply at national level .

Hirgigo Power Plant will boost Eritrea ’ s electric power supply by 60 %.

8 - CEC February 2018