BergerWorld: 3rd Quarter 2007

Mining accounts for nearly a quarter of Guinea's GDP. Rich in bauxite and alumina, Guinea also exports gold and diamonds. Because of its booming mining industry, Kamsar, located at the mouth of the Rio Nuñez, has become an increasingly prominent port city. The Guinea Aluminum Products Corporation (GAPCO) is currently constructing an alumina refinery in Kamsar, adjacent to the largest bauxite and alumina mine in Guinea, and the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) provided funding to GAPCO to conduct a feasibility study for constructing and operating a dedicated port facility adjacent to the existing port at Kamsar. GAPCO commissioned the Louis Berger Group and B/A to conduct the study.

The Berger team performed a series of field surveys at the site, including evaluating the existing navigational channel, rail access and port throughput; estimating likely future demand and additional capacity requirements; and developing alternate options. The Team then prepared preliminary designs, cost estimates and construction schedules for a new port at Kamsar. The facility was designed to export more than five million tons of refined alumina per year, and import three millions tons of fuel and other bulk products needed for the refining process. A comprehensive report of Berger's findings was then prepared and submitted to GAPCO, USTDA officials and other important stakeholders. The report included operational and infrastructure development analyses, such as parametric studies of the navigational channel and the rail network; evaluations of the bulk handling equipment and storage requirements; and a detailed master plan, including terminal layout designs, specifications for the quay and approach trestle, preliminary designs, cost estimates and construction schedules.

Following the completion of the feasibility study, GAPCO selected B/A to prepare final designs for the entire terminal, including the quay and approach trestle; material handling systems; storage silos and tanks; rail systems; internal roads; and electrical, water and sewer utilities. Berger then provided construction management for the port's reclamation works, which commenced in the spring of 2006. In this role, Berger was responsible for monitoring the progress of construction and overseeing the quality assurance program.