Endeavour Magazine February 2022

FEBRUARY 2022 www.littlegatepublishing.com

E3 METALS Clean Clearwater

THE FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK A worthwhile experiment for employers?

PROSEAL CORP Greener construction UK £4.95 CAN $7.95 USA $7.95 EUR €5.95 SA ZAR 69.00

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING CENTRE Sustainable glass

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Heads of Departments Editor-in-Chief Alice Instone-Brewer editor@littlegatepublishing.com Sales Manager Emlyn Freeman emlynfreeman@littlegatepublishing.com Sales Manager Andrew Williams andrew@littlegatepublishing.com Project Director James Lapping james@littlegatepublishing.com Corporate Director Anthony Letchumaman anthonyl@littlegatepublishing.com Lead Designer Alina Sandu studio@littlegatepublishing.com Founder and CEO Stephen Warman stevewarman@littlegatepublishing.com For enquiries or subscriptions contact info@littlegatepublishing.com +44 1603 296 100 ENDEAVOUR MAGAZINE is published

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Editor’s Note

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othing excites us more than stories of green industry innovations, and this month, we had the pleasure of being able to feature several companies making fresh strides in the arena of greener industry practices.

These companies and groups included ProSeal, a young company just starting to pioneer its new, green concrete and soil solutions. They explained this new technology to us and the many ways it could impact the construction, mining and energy sectors to massively reduce pollution and, in the case of their green concrete, to provide an alternative that doesn’t rely on Silica sand!

We also have the pleasure of being able to publish a series of pieces by members of the Geotechnical Engineering Centre, who have made similar breakthroughs in the realm of sustainable glass. Again, this could relieve the strain on Silican sand, among other benefits. This research was carried out and presented to us by the University of Queensland in Australia, and their article explores and explains many of these research and progress areas in depth.

Our cover story, E3 Metals, has also devised a fantastic way to reduce waste in its industry – in this case, lithium mining! With a massive reduction of soil affected, fresh water used, energy spent and time take, E3 Metals seems to have almost completely cleaned up lithium supply: they even predict a net gain of fresh water in some cases!

Even energy company Lamprell is getting greener. Whilst the company’s Middle East based oil & gas operations and still under full swing and proving fruitful, the company has never the less invested heavily into green energy, to the point of receiving a Green Economy Mark from the London Stock Exchange. 50% of its 2021/22 slate is account for by green energy projects – a remarkable move from a company that is traditionally a fossil fuel supplier, and another fantastic sign of movement towards cleaner, greener times for global industry.

There’s still a long way to go, but many of us are moving in the right direction, a few impressive strides at a time.

by Alice Instone-Brewer

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Features

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GEC University of Queensland

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Wiluna Mining

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Ed Züblin

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Lake Turkana

Clean Clearwater Greener construction Engineering the best solutions Sustainable glass

Golden opportunity Protecting Kenya Majulah Singapura Topping it off ‘Where Ghana shops’ Greener each year Powering Kenya

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Asia Africa Americas Middle East Europe

The four-day working week Amazing World

The Aral Sea

From The Horse’s Mouth

Schooling for Joy

LAMPRELL Endeavour Magazine | 5

Business Headlines

Asia India parliament opens amid over Pegasus allegations India’s parliament opened amid fresh allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government bought Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to spy on its critics.

According to an article in the New York Times, India acquired Pegasus from Israel as part of a defence deal in 2017.

Similar allegations emerged last year, and the government had denied them. Opposition parties are now accusing the government of lying to parliament and misleading the house.

The main opposition Congress has called for a “privilege motion” in parliament - used in instances when members are accused of committing a breach of privilege - against information and technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for “deliberately misleading the House”.

“The government, on the floor of the House, always maintained that it had nothing to do with the Pegasus spyware and it never bought the spyware from the NSO Group... in light of the revelations… it appears that the Modi government has misled the parliament and the Supreme Court,” Congress’ leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, wrote in a letter to the Speaker.

The allegations are expected to result in a heated debate as parliament assembles for a joint session of both houses. This comes ahead of the annual budget and days before five states go to the polls to elect a new government.

North Korea missile tests send photos from space North Korea has released photographs which it said were taken from its most powerful missile launch in five years.

The pictures taken from space show parts of the Korean peninsula and surrounding areas.

Pyongyang confirmed on January 31st that it had tested a Hwasong-12 intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM). At its full power, this missile can travel thousands of miles, putting areas like US territory Guam within striking distance.

The latest test has raised alarm again among the international community. Pyongyang has conducted a record number of seven missile launches in the past month alone - an intense flurry of activity that has been strongly condemned by the US, South Korea, Japan, and other nations.

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The UN prohibits North Korea from ballistic and nuclear weapons tests, and has imposed strict sanctions. But the East Asian state regularly defies the ban.

US officials said the recent step up in activity warranted renewed talks with Pyongyang.

Foreign journalists in China facing ‘unprecedented’ pressure Foreign journalists in China are facing “unprecedented hurdles” from efforts to discredit independent reporting, a press group said on January 31st.

The pressure, in part, comes in the form of threats of legal action, online troll campaigns and dwindling numbers after the expulsion of colleagues.

Beijing appears to be “encouraging a spate of lawsuits”, or the threat of legal action against foreign journalists, often filed long after sources agreed to interviews, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC) said in its annual report.

“The risk landscape is changing at the moment in unfamiliar ways,” said David Rennie, Beijing bureau chief for the Economist, in the report.

“In particular, news organisations face warnings that their reporting may expose them to legal sanctions or civil lawsuits, or - most ominously - to national security investigations,” he added.

The increased threats of legal action come after the 2020 detention of Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei, who worked for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, and Haze Fan of Bloomberg News. Chinese authorities have said they are being held on suspicion of endangering national security.

Foreign journalists and their organisations have developed emergency exit plans over heightened risks, and “state-backed attacks ... particularly trolling campaigns online” have made it tough for those remaining to operate, the FCCC report said.

Africa Malawi president warns against corruption On January 30th, President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi marked the swearing-in of the country’s new government with a warning against corruption.

The previous week, the president had fired several ministers over concerns of graft and corruption, which prompted the president to give the following message: “Corruption comes in many forms and there are many opportunities to succumb to it in this country. But you must resist it at every turn because if you do not follow the law, the law will follow you and if you think that I will use my office to save you from facing the law you have broken, then you are gravely mistaken.”

President Chakwera added, “You are here to serve, not to rule or boast. Occupying high office is not a license to act high and mighty. The people of Malawi are your bosses, not your subjects”.

Last December, one minister in government was arrested on allegations of having received bribes from a businessman in exchange for land. Also last month, police in Malawi arrested a former finance minister as well as an ex-central bank chief.

Kenya increases security following attack warning Kenya has increased security in Nairobi and other cities receiving warnings from several European countries of possible attacks.

Heavily armed police officers were patrolling the streets of Nairobi on January 28th and tight security was also visible outside government offices, public buildings and shopping malls.

“With regard to the French terrorist alert, we assure the public that the security of Kenyans, including critical infrastructure, is being tightened throughout the country, especially in the cities,” said police spokesman Bruno Shioso, “We urge Kenyans to remain calm and share any information on suspicious activities with the police.”

The French embassy in Kenya has issued a warning to its citizens against a “risk of attack in the coming days” in Nairobi, recommending to “avoid places frequented by foreign nationals” such as hotels, restaurants and shopping centres.

The French Foreign Ministry has reiterated the “real risk” of terrorist attacks in Kenya against public places frequented by foreigners, the German embassy issued a similar warning to its citizens, and the Dutch described the information as credible.

In January 2020, the Shebab, a movement linked to Al Qaeda, warned Kenya that the country would “never be safe”. Kenya is a major troop contributor to the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), which in 2011 drove the Shebab out of Mogadishu.

The Shebab still control large rural areas and regularly carry out attacks in the Somali capital

Tropical storm Ana causes destruction in southern Africa Tropical storm Ana made landfall in Madagascar on Monday. At least 48 people have been killed by flooding that affected an estimated 130,000 people.

The disasters management office said that about 20,000 people had started to return home as waters began to recede. §After Madagascar, Storm Ana advanced to Mozambique and Malawi causing extensive damage in both countries. At least 38 people are known to have died in these countries.

Protests continue in Sudan amid government crackdown Hundreds of Sudanese protesters took to the streets of the capital on January 27th, marching towards the house of 23-year-old Thabit Hussein, who was killed during clashes near the presidential palace earlier this week. Hussein was one of three people killed during the day’s protests, bringing the death toll among protesters to at least 76 since the military takeover three months ago.

The protests have consistently affected the country since this October 25th military coup.

Activists said security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protesters in several locations in the capital, including around the fortified presidential palace.

Hussein’s mother, Shadia Ahmad, urged de-facto Sudanese leader Abdel-Fattah Burhan “to stop the bloodshed, to set and negotiate with the youths to see what they need exactly,” because, she added, “negotiation is the only solution for the problem.”

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Americas Collapsed Pittsburgh bridge was rated in poor condition A bridge in Pittsburgh collapsed on January 28th, injuring 10 people. It has been found that the was in poor condition and yet had not been targeted for improvements under the federal infrastructure bill, state records show.

The Forbes Avenue bridge over Frick Park, a major artery for morning commuters heading downtown, ironically fell hours before President Joe Biden was scheduled to speak in town to promote his administration’s $500 billion infrastructure package.

Pennsylvania is set to receive more than $327 million in federal funding for bridge repair and replacement under the infrastructure plan, with about $49 million going to “off-system,” or local, bridges like the Forbes Avenue bridge.

The bridge is not among the highway and bridge projects targeted for federal funding in the state’s 2021 transportation improvement program.

The 447-foot, steel, rigid frame bridge had an overall 4 rating and was listed in poor condition, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Ratings range from 0 to 9, with the highest number receiving an excellent score.

Officials are investigating what caused the bridge to give way, the city of Pittsburgh said in a news release.

Florida officials using dating apps to try to find drug dealers The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said dozens are using LGBTQ dating apps and concealing their sales with emojis and code words.

Detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office alleged that 52 people used three apps — Grindr, Scruff and Taimi — to sell methamphetamines, cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana and other drugs, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Among the emojis that were used were ice cream cones and birthday cakes, Sheriff Grady Judd told reporters.

The word “Tina” was used for meth, he said.

8 | Endeavour Magazine

Marijuana was the most commonly sold drug, with investigators buying nearly a pound and a half through online sales. Meth, at 280 grams, was second. Grindr, which describes itself as the world’s largest social networking app for the LGBTQ community, saw more sales than the other two apps, the sheriff’s office said.

In a statement, the company said that drug sales are strictly prohibited on the app. “Our moderation team works hard every day to ban bad actors while maintaining the privacy and security of our users,” the statement said.

Users have previously accused the company of not doing enough to police illegal drug sales. A Grindr spokesperson told NBC News three years ago that the company “prohibits the promotion of drug use in user profiles” and encourages users to report “suspicious and threatening activities.”

Moderna Launches Clinical Trials for HIV Vaccine Human clinical trials have started for an experimental HIV vaccine that uses the same kind of mRNA technology found in Moderna’s successful COVID-19 vaccine, the drug company announced in late January.

The first vaccinations were given at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC, the company said in a news release. Phase I trials will also be run at the Hope Clinic of Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

The vaccine is designed to prompt white blood cells to turn into antibodies that can neutralize HIV, ABC News reported. A booster shot to work with the HIV vaccine is also being studied.

For 4 decades, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has managed to dodge the immune system’s attempts to destroy it. Scientists have not been able to develop a vaccine, though they have made advancements in treatments, such as long-acting injectables for pre- and post-exposure prevention and treatment.

The release said 56 healthy HIV-negative adults are taking part in the clinical trial, with 48 getting one or two doses of the mRNA vaccine and 32 also getting the booster. Eight people will just get the booster. All of them will be monitored for up to 6 months after receiving a final dose.

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Middle East Syria intercepts Israeli missiles targeting Damascus Syrian air defenses have intercepted Israeli missiles targeting the vicinity of the capital Damascus.

The interception took place on January 31st and resulted in some material damage. Israel, which has carried out hundreds of attacks in Syria over the past decade, declined comment.

“At 3:05 am today, the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial assault with a volley of missiles… targeting some points on the outskirts of Damascus,” the official SANA news agency said.

“Our air defences responded to the attack and intercepted some” of the missiles, it added.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the attacks hit military outposts and a weapons depot belonging to Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, which has sent fighters in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

The war monitor, which relies on sources inside Syria, said the attack sparked fires “in military outposts and arms depots belonging to Hezbollah”.

Israel rarely comments on the air raids it carries out in Syria but has said repeatedly it will not allow its foe Iran and its allies to extend its footprint in Syria. Iran, along with Russia, is the main military backer of al-Assad.

©Jim Gordon, Baghdad International Airport, Flickr

Egypt court sentences 10 to death on charges of planning attacks An Egyptian court has sentenced 10 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group to death for coordinating and planning attacks on the police, the state-news agency MENA has reported.

10 | Endeavour Magazine

The identities of the defendants were not revealed and it was not possible to determine how they had pleaded to the charges.

Nine were in custody while one was sentenced whilst absent.

The verdict will now be referred to the Grand Mufti, Egypt’s top theological authority – a formality in death penalty cases – before the court meets on June 19 to confirm the sentences.

The 10 who were sentenced to death had formed a group called “Helwan Brigades”, MENA said, in reference to a city south of Cairo. They were part of a broader plot to attack police targets in the Cairo area with the aim to topple the government, it added.

According to Amnesty International, Egypt carried out the third highest number of known executions in the world last year, after China and Iran.

Kuwait suspends flights to Iraq after Baghdad airport attack Kuwait suspended flights to Iraq for a week starting January 30th, citing security fears after a rocket attack targeted Baghdad International Airport. Iraqi authorities announced an attacker was apprehended.

Kuwait Airways, the country’s main carrier, said in a statement on January 29th that flights to Iraq were temporarily suspended based on instructions from the Kuwaiti Civil Aviation Authority because of “current conditions”.

Six rockets were fired on the 28th at the Iraqi capital’s airport, causing damage to one runway and two civilian planes but no casualties. It was the latest in a string of attacks the United States blamed on Iran-linked armed groups.

“Such suspicious actions have created insecurity and unrest in Iraq, paving the way for the ill-wishers and the insurgents, and affecting the government’s services to the Iraqi citizens,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement.

The attack was not immediately claimed but Iraqi authorities said they apprehended a suspect at a checkpoint near the northern province of Kirkuk enroute to Erbil in the Kurdish-run semiautonomous region.

Europe Cyprus Orthodox Church to suspend priests over COVID vaccination The leader of the Cyprus Orthodox Church has warned he would suspend a dozen unvaccinated priests if they continue to defy church rules on COVID-19.

Archbishop Chrysostomos II announced he would send the priests home, as they refused to get vaccinated while also advocating against coronavirus jabs.

He said that 27 of 123 priests in his diocese remained unvaccinated, including 15 who have exemptions for medical reasons.

The remaining 12 would be suspended for three months, and if they continued to defy the archbishop, the suspension would be extended to six months and could lead to defrocking, Chrysostomos said.

He said it was ‘unprecedented’ to have priests disobey their chief bishop.

Despite vaccination remaining optional in Cyprus, the archbishop issued strong guidelines to priests and theologians to get vaccinated.

He backed the government’s campaign to vaccinate the population from the start, being one of the first people to get jabbed in December 2020.

Last year, Chrysostomos warned he would not tolerate employees who refuse to get vaccinated and priests who do not wear masks and incite their congregation to reject the jab.

UK to introduce new bill to scrap EU laws two years since Brexit The UK government will introduce new legislation allowing it to change or scrap retained European Union laws, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said to mark two years since Brexit.

The new “Brexit Freedoms Bill” will make it easier to amend or remove what he called “outdated” EU laws that London has kept on its statute books as a “bridging measure” after leaving the bloc.

It will be part of what the UK leader dubbed a “major cross-government drive to reform, repeal and replace” the European laws retained and cut red tape for businesses.

“The plans we have set out today will further unleash the benefits of Brexit and ensure that businesses can spend more of their money investing, innovating and creating jobs,” Johnson said in a statement.

“Our new Brexit Freedoms Bill will end the special status of EU law in our legal framework and ensure that we can more easily amend or remove outdated EU law in future.”

Britain left the EU on January 31, 2020, but continued to abide by most of its rules and regulations until the start of 2021 under the terms of its withdrawal deal.

UNSC to meet on Ukraine ahead of Lavrov-Blinken talks The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet for the first time on Russia’s troop buildup near Ukraine at the request of the United States, and all key players are expected to square off in public over the possibility of a Russian invasion.

The meeting in New York comes days after intensified Western warnings that Moscow could attack Ukraine this month.

Denials from Moscow and pleas from Ukraine’s president for no unnecessary “panic” have failed to ease the growing concerns.

Kyiv’s Western allies – including the United States and the European Union – have repeatedly threatened to roll out sweeping economic sanctions on Russia should it roll its military into Ukraine. Moscow meanwhile has demanded NATO curb its activity in Eastern Europe and never allow Ukraine to become a member.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, will hold talks over the crisis on February 1st, Moscow has announced.

Germany has refused to send weapons to Ukraine, despite fellow NATO allies doing so, and saw its navy chief step down after he downplayed the crisis. The developments have frustrated Berlin’s Western allies, who are eager to present a united front to the Kremlin.

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

CLEAN CLEARWATER E3 Metals chevron-square-right www.e3metalscorp.com phone-square +1 (587) 324-2775

E3 Metals

Electricity: our modern world relies on it. Yet, even in power cuts, when we’re at home, we’re barely affected like we used to be. Why? We’re surrounded by devices powered by batteries.

From household items to renewable power stations and electric vehicles, lithium is at the heart of much that supports and surrounds us. We took a look at E3 Metals Corp to see how this resource and technology company approaches and answers this never-ending need, and manages to do so with incredibly little impact on its environment.

L

ike many great resource companies, E3 Metals Corp has its home in Canada, Alberta, and the company’s goal is the efficient and clean extraction of lithium. The main focus for these efforts is the company’s local Clearwater Project, which has an outlined Net Present Value of USD $820 million and an Internal Rate of Return of 27% (after tax). However, this is but one of three resources for the company, all of which appear to be rich with potential. These three resources are known as Clearwater, as mentioned, Rocky and Exshaw: between the three areas, E3 possesses an estimated collective resource of over 7 million tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE). This is extremely competitive, and still only accounts for a third of the company’s full permit area in southcentral Alberta! Aka, they could well be sitting on even more.

Clearwater alone is able to produce an average of 20,000 tonnes a year, with the project estimated to have a life-span of around 20 years. One of the reasons it has proven so fruitful is thanks to the Leduc Formation – a heavily dolomitized ancient reef complex that runs for 2km under Clearwater’s surface. E3’s exploration and study of the area was assisted by data found by the wells drilled here when the land was tapped for oil. This 70-year history with oil means that E3 was able to compare these historic results with modernday findings, leading to a detailed preliminary map of the well network design. Not only is this formation already well-understood, it has also demonstrated highly encouraging flow rates and deliverability over this time. In other words, it is very opportunistic for E3 to hold permits in this area.

Despite all of this, a strong slate of resource areas is only half of what makes E3 Metals such a notable player in the lithium sector. Its other strength, and arguably its most impressive, is its technology. When it comes to the handling of finite resources – especially resources this essential for our way of life – the most interesting question is that of efficiency. This is particularly true in this case, because E3 Metals have a fantastic record for it.

The company uses its own Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology, which has a recovery rate of over

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Preliminary Economic Assessment

Clean Clearwater

Clearwater Project

Possible with E3’ Technology

t standard of ESG | Corporate Presentation

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E3 Metals

90% and reduces impurities by over 99%! This last figure in particular is staggering. Having developed and perfected the technology itself, E3 then scaled this up to a level that could support commercial output, thus being in a strong position to deliver quality lithium to the market in an impactful quantity.

Needless to say, the lithium that E3 produces is high-purity, battery-grade. But how are such high purity and extraction rates achieved? As the experts put it – aka, E3 Metals themselves: “E3’s DLE ion-exchange technology utilizes a proprietary sorbent designed to be highly selective towards lithium ions. It quickly and efficiently reduces large volumes of low-grade brine into a high-grade lithium concentrate in one step, simultaneously removing nearly all impurities.”

What does this mean? The Clearwater Project is one area from which lithium can be extracted in the Leduc aquifer formation. This saline formation in the water contains both lithium and high levels of dissolved solids. The company uses sorbents that have a high affinity for lithium yet reject the

unwanted solids, in order to separate this important resource from the rest and protect its purity. This convenient sorbent was manufactured through the company’s own lab facility.

The impact of this is huge: not only does it produce highly pure lithium, but it vastly reduces both the wait-time and the environmental impact of E3’s operations compared to most lithium producers. As the company explains, other lithium producers tend to favor one of two methods: either extracting lithium from still ponds gradually, as the water evaporates, or the highly disruptive process of lithium mining, which consumes energy and disturbs the earth as much as any other traditional mining endeavor.

In contrast, E3’s method neither disturbs the land with mining nor requires the large amounts of water disturbance in the first method, and it takes far less time. E3 Metals DLE process is low-energy, its land use utilizes only 3% of conventional lithium projects, and re-injects the lithium void brine back into the rock formation, thus removing nothing other than the lithium itself.

E3 continues to improve the company’s ESG benefits and states, “E3 Metals is committed to

Global Lithium Sources

Conventional vs. Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Conventional Hard Rock Mining • •

Energy and capital intensive Large environmental footprint

Greenbushes, Australia

Next Generation Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) •

Faster production with higher recoveries

•

Limited to no tailings

•

Minimized freshwater use

Salars (Brines – Evaporative) • Conventional evaporation process for brine concentration • Salar de Atacama, Chile

Slow process with large environmental footprint

Source: Jade Cove Partners, 2020

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sustainable development that extends to all facets of our business. Our vision is to be a global leader in responsibly sourced lithium to fuel the global transition towards a brighter energy future. We aim to deliver new sources of lithium through innovation, emphasizing high standards in environmental stewardship, social engagement, and economic benefits for our stakeholders.”

Many companies talk the CSR and sustainability talk, but fewer manage to walk the walk, especially to such a remarkable and game-changing degree within their industry. E3 Metals’ developments have created a technology that could clean up, speed up and revolutionize the lithium sector. With this being the case, it is easy to believe the company’s statement of values and integrity – something that one cannot always be sure of, but in this case, is clearly reflected in the conscientious and responsible way that E3 has developed and approached its operations:

actions and conduct. Our approach promotes a strong culture of corporate responsibility that empowers our people to support our local communities, nurture our environment, and deepen our stakeholder relationships in order to create tangible and long-lasting benefits for our future.”

Any venture that advances the quest for clean energy as dramatically as this is worth everyone’s notice, in our opinion. The more we see, in speaking with innovators like E3, the more confident we become that it is possible to approach and maintain our world-wide industrial existence in a cleaner, better way. The methods are out there – now it just takes daring and forward-thinking companies like E3 Metals and their investors to make this change become the norm.

“Our core values drive how we approach our work at E3 Metals and set the tone from the inside out. We are determined to achieve the highest possible standards through our

Road to Commercialization 2022

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2025-2026

Complete Field-based Pilot Plant

Detailed Engineering Design

Project Finance

Drill program to upgrade from Inferred to Measured & Indicated Resource

Complete PFS

Commercial Permitting

Commercial Production (~at 20,000 tonnes LCE per year)

Determine optimal location for commercial operations Begin Pre-Feasibility Study (“PFS”)

Completion of these milestones are subject to financing and continued success in project development. | Corporate Presentation

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

GREENER CONSTRUCTION ProSealCorp chevron-square-right prosealcorp.com phone-square 800-349-7325

ProSealCorp

ProSealCorp may be a young company, with many great plans and products in development and patent stages, however, products it is preparing for release have potential to be game-changing across industries. We spoke with T.J. (Tal) Brammer, ProSealCorp’s CEO, M.A. (Jane) Stone EVP technology and geophysicist/ hydrologist and Kevin Kirkpatrick VP marketing, about these new products, to find out why we should be excited for ProSealCorp’s upcoming offerings and what they could mean for cleaner industry, see prosealecco.com:

T.J Brammer CEO

Jane Stone VP technology and geophysicist/hydrologist

Kevin Kirkpatrick VP marketing 20 | Endeavour Magazine

“W

e are a new start up, but one with a team that has decades of experience in green technology development.

As professionals, this team been in the business of green production for more than forty years.

ProSealCorp is in our early transition, from raw development to preparing for market ready phase; with patents pending and patents in process for our disruptive Nano Novel Matrix technology for Green Soil Stabilization, Toxic Leachate Containment Technologies, and Green Concrete Alternative Technologies,” Mr. Brammer told us.

We are always excited by true passion for green technology: it is the area in which innovation is happening within the heavy industries, and indeed across the industrial board. ProSealCorp definitely seems to share our enthusiasm: “Pro-SealECCO Nano Novel Matrix technology was entirely designed over many decades to be green in practice, green in process, green in material, and green in place. We have greatly reduced carbon footprint, no volatile organic contents (VOCs), and have a near zero hydrocarbon footprint in comparison to current technologies and processes in place,” said Ms. Stone.

In total, the company’s team has, over their careers, developed over 180 green products and systems, all designed for the commercial industrial construction industry. The new, ProSealCorp’s green semi-structural, waterproof, soil stabilization and concrete alternative materials create concrete without the need for Silica sand. Silica sand is a finite, non-renewable resource. The diminishing supply of Silica sand has tremendous economic impact as it is primarily used in concrete. It is the most used construction material in the world, an estimated USD $8.6t annually and swelling to a projected USD 9.7t by 2025. Silica sands diminishing availability has been recently raised as a concern across industries. “We have, in the patent process, formulas to create NanoCrete®,” Mr. Brammer told us, “a green concrete alternative technology, using Nano Novel Matrix technology and mine tailings soil as a component instead of Silica sand. All required testing, to date, has passed standard test criteria for type I concrete. Additional testing is in process for scale up testing and for testing of type II concrete,” said Ms. Stone.

Greener construction

Endeavour Magazine | 21

ProSealCorp

As for the company’s Nano Novel Matrix technology, as Ms. Stone explained for us, “It may be placed in situ, cast, or formed and poured. It is designed site specific for site soils, allowing us to control reactions and engineer site desired results cost efficiently.”

With a strong but modest team of less than 50 employees at present, ProSealCorp has major plans, aiming for over 3,500 members of staff once the first plant is in operation. However, whilst its team is currently nowhere near that size, ProSeal has a far reach: its offices operate out of Tucson and Phoenix, AZ, Seattle, WA and Henderson, NV in the US, as well as London in the UK, and Seoul in South Korea. ProSealCorp products are designed for use site by site, so the ability to study the local soil etc. will be a must, and therefore the wider its reach, the easier and more affordable this will be. “We will evaluate, design, formulate, and manufacture to meet site needs, anywhere on the planet,” Ms. Stone assured us.

Regarding Pro-SealCorps team itself, the company believes in promoting from within where it can (though massive expansion will see qualified personnel brought in from outside, as well). As Mr. Brammer describes it, “We are going to be in extreme hiring mode as we build out.”

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“Our philosophy regarding the entire workforce team is that we have no employees; we have teammates, team captains, coaches, and team management each with special skill sets focused on their specific team disciplines with strategic play contribution. We are heavy on training due to the nature of the work both in plant and at project site. Compensation in one of our plants is estimated to be 15% to 40% higher than other manufacturers due to training, desired retention curve, and excellent benefits packages; insurance, educational contribution, time off, 401K, etc,” Mr. Brammer told us.

We asked Mr. Brammer what his philosophy is regarding good leadership. After all, with a solid team now, and plans to increase its size many times over, a strong sense of leadership and company culture is key, and something easiest to establish if one gets it right at the start: “Give them latitude, get them engaged in the decision process, get them involved in the vision and mission of the company,” he answered. “Allow them to take intrapreneurial ownership, take the reins of their respective department and/or responsibilities with the understanding that there is accountability.

This empowering of staff allows the team to act with passion, not simply obedience, and to share

Greener construction

in the dreams and goals of the company in a true, motivating sense”.

In total, the company’s core business activities include mine tailings soil toxic leachate containment, acid rock containment, semi structural soil stabilization and low level radiation soils containment; rapid road base & service roads stabilization and building, as well as slope and drainage stabilization; fly ash containment and stabilization; oil fracking berms and ponds, production pad and access road stabilization; waste management; stabilization of earthen mounds and dams, dust and mud control; and coming attractions Type I and Type II Green Concrete alternatives.

Their Nano Novel Matrix technology can also help to extend containment liner life expectancy! All in all, their green products can help to clean up a crazy amount of general industry’s processes and generated waste materials – and not just those! These products also apply to the forest fire reclamation, parks reclamation, retro liquefaction reclamation/prevention and across the energy industries, and the company is looking into these directions as well.

Each of these industries is a major contributor both economically and yet, unfortunately, lots of pollution. We asked Mr. Brammer and Ms. Stone to break down exactly how ProSealCorp’s various offerings could apply to each sector:

“In the mining industry, mine tailings are a large environmental problem and a looming liability for the mining industry as a whole. Our Nano Novel Matrix technology is positioned to structurally stabilize soil while containing toxic leachates, low level radiation, and acid rock, in mine tailings soil”, Stone said.

“The mining industry has been under lot of attention and pressure to find a global solution to the problem of toxic, mining tailings. Regulatory and community concern over the continued ‘business as usual’ (BAU) approach has reached a crescendo. Multiple industry players, including investors, insurance entities, and government are raising concerns over the current BAU practices. These practices have resulted in significant loss of life, complete destruction of local towns and eco habitats. Responsible mining partners, including consulting engineers, academic scientists, and major mining concerns are working together to find answers. An industry solution is in the forefront of the minds of each of these” Mr. Brammer responded. “Pro-SealECCO is the only viable solution for the issue of toxic tailings soils globally”, a quote from Dr. Jaeheon Lee, University of Arizona, School of Mining and a Director Center for Tailings Excellence, according to Mr. Kirkpatrick.

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ProSealCorp

“In the energy industry, fly ash containment has become a huge and expensive problem.

With our disruptive technology systems, we can achieve long term containment, safer, faster, for far less cost, and for far longer service life. We are told by consultants that forest fire ash in California and other areas are creating enormous environmental issues for companies, due apparently to the impact of ash accelerating erosion of critical sloped lands. Nano Novel Matrix soil stabilization will play a key role in resolving these issues, as it will not only stabilize the ash and soil, it binds in leachates, and it will also resist soil erosion from wind and rain”.

“As for road construction and repair, the transportation infrastructure in the USA is in severe disrepair. ProSealCorp’s, Pro-SealECCO Nano Novel Matrix technology, Rapid Road build generates new road base, reinforces existing road base incorporating both asphalts and chip seal right into the mix as addition content, establishes slope stabilization, drainage ponds, berms, drainage, swells, and more using in situ soils with our additives eliminating the need for haul in of rock and other substrate materials. The Nano Novel Matrix technology stops potholing and affords extremely rapid road repair or build with environmental positive impact. This is accomplished at extremely high production rates, reducing the carbon footprint and hydrocarbon output, reducing environmentally damaging harvesting at alternate sites and haul in haul out loads, all while cutting the costs to build, maintenance, and to own roads substantially,” Ms. Stone told us.

ProSealCorp is an ‘extreme disruptor’ of these industries, according to Ms. Stone, but even so, reception and acceptance has been slow, in some cases. Green developments in such industries tend to move slowly – something that Mr. Brammer and Ms. Stone attribute partly to the need for education to explain the vast difference between ProSealCorp’s Nano Novel Matrix technology and the alternatives. In the military arena, however, developments have been happening quickly. “We are making great forward strides with military projects and our technology has been accepted by the USACE. We have some project decisions pending for a significant number of lane miles of road, helipads, and other pads. Further, we are specified into a tailing’s containment start, in Brazil for dry cake stack of low-level radiation tailings”, Mr. Brammer said.

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When initial uptake is slow, it reveals the true passion of a team when their enthusiasm and dedication continue unabated. We asked Mr. Brammer where this passion comes from: “We are a team of experts in our fields - driven believers with boundless energy! Containment of toxic leachates will literally change our world. We continue to recruit and add expertise to our team. Why is Pro-SealCorp so attractive to these experts in their fields? “We are the only known technology that binds and contains toxins into soil to include 7 of the EPA 8 metals tested, at or below EPA allowable standards.

The RCRA 8 are silver, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead and selenium, according to Dr. Lee of the University of Arizona and Dr. Nelson of Colorado School of Mining concurs.” said Mr. Brammer. Mercury, as yet, remains untested; it was not present in the samples tested, according to Ms. Stone, however, ProSealCorp believes that it will be contained as well. Of course, this theory will be tested thoroughly before any solid claims are made, however the company is confident.

In short, the company’s passion comes both from the importance of its cause, and its faith in the strength and innovation of its Nano Novel Matrix technologies. “We have developed a high level of how bonds and binders are able to be designed, engineered, structured, and to be more functional.

Nano Novel Matrix technology creates stronger bonds due to a multiplex of complex reactions in the same footprint. These happenstances are only available in the market with our patent pending technology. Our technology, as we have stated, is disruptive, as it contains the tested EPA RCRA 8 metals at EPA or better than allowable content, is green, is site specific designed, has a long service life, and may be valued engineered,” said Ms. Stone.

Of course, belief and passion from within only get a company so far – support from without is also needed. Start-ups require aligned investors, and a company with industry-changing potential like ProSealCorp is an exciting company for a green-conscious investor to get involved with. The company itself takes pride in its green operating environment. “We use only natural materials to generate natural reactions. Our entire end goal is a green solution to environmental challenges with environment positive impact solutions.” As well as keeping its own processes green, and the green impact of its products, ProSealCorp works actively with several groups that aim to set a new, greener, set of industry standards in its areas of operation. For example, it is involved with the Tailings Centre for Excellence, headquartered at

Greener construction Colorado State University; TAILENG, headquartered out of Georgia Tech; and has contributed to Global Industry Standards on Tailings Management in London, an independent process convened by the United Nations Environment Programme. On top of this, the company helps in the development of general education on such matters for affected communities, and for people within these industries at large.

This is all something worthwhile to support if one shares ProSealCorp’s passion and green ethos.

Lastly, of course, its projects for its business are also encouraging and exciting:

“We are of course seeking interested key green investment or other investment, said Mr. Kirkpatrick. “We project conservatively greater than $2.7t USD in revenues, over the life of our patents, with this disruptive technology across our markets globally. The ‘alternative concrete market’ alone has $900b USD potential in less than 5 years.”

industries where clean and sustainable practices are a known issue. This focus on a cleaner future is what motives ProSealCorp’s team and keeps them moving forward, as Mr. Brammer and Ms. Stone in unison told us with enthusiasm: “The end goal for ProSealCorp is to create a lasting legacy of better, greener processes with which to protect our environment, our communities and all stakeholders. In working together with the academic world and across the affected industries and the communities in which they operate, it is the goal of ProSealCorp to create a more safe, sustainable environment, through environment positive impact solutions, in critical operation with a positive green impact to the world-wide economy.” Who wouldn’t want to see that come to pass? We look forward to watching ProSealCorp’s progress, and hope we’ll be writing success stories about their solutions’ integration into industry life for years to come. For more information go to www.prosealecco.com or email information@prosealecco.com.

It is both impressive and refreshing to encounter any company that is dedicated to improving the possibilities of green industry, and particularly in

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By Harriet Calver, Senior Associate at Winckworth Sherwood

THE FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK A worthwhile experiment for employers?

In the Littlegate Publishing offices, we’ve been trialing the four-day work week since October, inspired by changes that have occurred in everyone’s lives since the pandemic. We find that as a result of Covid lockdowns, many people have re-evaluated their priorities when it comes to home/work balance, and for us, the four-day week is so far proving fruitful.

We received this break-down of the pros and cons of the four-day week from Harriet Calver, Senior Associate at Winckworth Sherwood. Do you think this experiment would work for you and your team?

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six-month pilot has recently been announced in the UK, in which participating employers will trial a four-day working week for all employees with no corresponding reduction in pay, and researchers will examine the impact of this on employee productivity and well-being.

The pilot will run from June 2022 to December 2022 and is being co-ordinated by not-forprofit 4 Day Week Global, thinktank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, and researchers at Cambridge University, Boston College and Oxford University.

Similar trials have already taken place in Iceland, New Zealand and Japan and have concluded that a four-day week boosts productivity, increases wellbeing and work-life balance, and leads to fewer instances of stress and burnout. The aim of this new pilot is to establish whether the same findings are replicated in the UK and whether a large-scale move to

this more sustainable commercially viable.

way

of

working

is

How does this differ to existing arrangements offered by employers?

A four-day working week is not a new phenomenon.

Many employees in the UK already work a four-day week: however, this is typically agreed on a caseby-case basis between employee and employer following a flexible working request. It tends to be accompanied by a corresponding reduction in pay, except in the case of “compressed hours” in which case the employee is simply squeezing the same number of hours into a shorter week.

In the current pilot, the situation is slightly different in that the employees will be doing one day’s less work but for no less pay.The logic behind this is that employees won’t be measured on how long they are at work, but the output they produce, with those running the pilot seeking to prove that the shortened week will in fact result in greater productivity and output rather than less.

What are the potential benefits for employers?

For employees, the advantages of working one less day a week for the same amount of pay are obvious: they will have more free time and having more time to do the things they enjoy will inevitably increase overall happiness. But in what ways could the reduced working week benefit employers?

Improving employee happiness and well-being has many potential commercial benefits for employers as outlined below.

Increased performance and productivity In simple terms, a happier, rested worker is a better worker.

Trials have shown that a four-day week increases productivity, largely because happier, more fulfilled employees are more focused on their jobs and efficient when in the workplace, whereas discontented staff are less efficient and tend to distract their co-workers. By way of example, an employee who is working 5 days per week (100% of working hours) at 70% output will be less productive than an employee working 4 days a week (80% of the hours) at 100% output.

Rested minds are also much better when it comes to innovation and creativity, which is key for the success of most businesses.

Reduced absenteeism Sickness absence costs UK businesses billions of pounds every year and a significant proportion of sick days are a direct result of overwork, stress and mental health issues. In fact, studies show that stress is the leading cause of long-term sickness absence.

Having a longer weekend allows employees more to time to rest and recharge after a busy week Endeavour Magazine | 27

and do things they enjoy, which naturally leads to reduced stress levels and an improvement in well-being.

Recruitment and Retention Research has shown that the four-day week is the benefit most desirable to employees. Unsurprising perhaps, but it is nevertheless a rare offering and so it is a great way for an organisation to stand out from the field and attract the best talent. This is especially relevant in the current job market, where good candidates are in very high demand and are prioritising flexible work patterns when looking for new jobs.

The four-day week is also reported to increase employee engagement, keep employees motivated and generally increase loyalty to the employer.

These factors inevitably lead to better retention levels and therefore a reduction in the costs and disruption associated with employees leaving and needing to be replaced.

Social and Environmental Impact For employers who are concerned about their social and environmental impact, a four-day working week is a great way to showcase this and to make a genuine difference. Research has shown, for example, that a four-day week increases gender equality, considerably reduces a business’s carbon footprint and leads to employees making more environmentally positive choices as they have more time on their hands.

What are the potential pitfalls?

If an organisation is asking for 100% productivity from employees in consideration for a reduction in working hours, it is going to be critical to have the right support, technology and workplace culture in place to enable this. Without this, inefficiencies will inevitably arise, which will undermine the success of the shorter working week. The reality is that some businesses simply won’t have the correct infrastructure or culture in place initially, meaning that it will take time and potentially expense for them to effectively make the shift to this new way of working.

In addition, although the success of the fourday working week model relies on employees doing fewer hours, there is a danger that unless clear parameters are set in relation to working hours, employees’ hours could creep up to previous levels if the workload is the same, resulting in longer and more stressful days for these employees. If this happened, wellbeing and productivity would most 28 | Endeavour Magazine

likely decrease rather than increase, negating the benefits of the shorter week. For employers who adopt the four-day working week, it is therefore crucial they are mindful of this and keep track of employees’ working hours.

In customer facing businesses, a potential pitfall of the four-day working week is not being able to properly service customers, leading to poor customer satisfaction. For example, if an organisation shuts its office on the fifth day, when it was previously open, customers may complain they cannot access services when they want to or previously could. Whilst this could be a potential issue for some organisations, it should be overcome fairly easily by keeping the business open for five days a week but staggering the days which employees do their four days so the entire week is still covered.

For employers who currently have a number of employers working four days a week, on reduced pay, particular care will need to be given as to how the change will impact the existing arrangements of these employees, and how it is communicated to them. A 20% pay rise may be a welcome windfall for these employees, but potential issues could arise if these employees feel there is expectation which comes with it. For example, they may be concerned they will be required to work harder, be 20% more productive and/or work more hours to earn this additional income, rather than continuing as usual but on a higher salary. Employers with existing parttime employees should therefore give this issue careful thought to avoid potential problems arising once the new arrangements are implemented.

How do you know if a four-day week is right for your business?

A four-day working week model clearly won’t suit every business and will require genuine support from both leadership and the employees, as well the appropriate technology and infrastructure, to give it any chance of success.

For businesses considering the move to the four-day working week, our advice is to take time to properly assess how it will impact on your business, weighing up the positives and negatives, and to consult with employees to garner their views before making any firm decisions. Further, before making the four-day week a permanent change, a trial period, such as that taking place in the pilot mentioned above, is a sensible way of establishing whether the four-day working week is really right for your business.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

ENGINEERING THE BEST SOLUTIONS Promor chevron-square-right www.promor.com.sg phone-square +65 6274 3770

Promor

Servicing the offshore oil and gas industry, Promor has garnered itself a reputation as a premier solution engineering operation in just a few short years and it looks as though it is just getting started.

Founded in 2011, Promor is the toast of the Singaporean engineering industry, thanks to its focussed appetite for problem solving specifically for the offshore oil and gas sector. Employing only the very best people, Promor specialises in working with Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) and Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessels and has sought to harness a range of targeted engineering services for clients on a global scale.

ONE STOP SOLUTION. NON STOP SERVICES. With more than 30 years of track records in providing Engineering Services under one roof, such as: • • • • •

Different kind of Steel Structural Fabrication and Welding Works Design and Engineering for Onshore / Offshore Pipe Lines Fabrication and Welding Precision Machining Services Robotic Welding and Profile Cutting

12 Loyang Street, Singapore 508845 Tel: (65) 6382 8100 Fax: (65) 6382 8700 Website: www.continental-engrg.com.sg Email: info@continental-engrg.com.sg

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A

s the company says of itself, “Promor has developed its own unique proprietary technology, covering internal and external turret moorings, spread moorings, dis-connectable turret moorings, CALM buoys, fluid swivels and offloading systems. These can be supplied in complete turnkey packages to suit our client requirements.”

No messing about, just astute industry observations and beautifully designed solutions for key sector concerns. That’s what Promor stands for in a bid to provide clients with not only the best service that they have ever encountered, but also a simple and transparent transaction that will take them from concept through to installation and beyond.

Of course, there’s more to any engineering project than just ‘designing’, but Promor makes the entire process look so simple that detailed modelling, manufacturing and commissioning just appears to flow as one seamless motion. That is the inherent genius of this innovative, though still young, company. Nothing is too much trouble and even if it does cause headaches, the client will never know and will only ever be in receipt of a perfectly tailored product that solves a number of operation dilemmas.

Problem solving is a tricky business and not one for the easily disheartened or distracted, which is why Promor is flourishing so well. With almost 40 members of staff in place, each as experienced, dedicated and adventurous as the last, there will always be a bright mind that can visualise a solution to any given issue, allowing for the company’s mandate of remaining cost-effective as well as invaluable, to be realised. What’s more, these projects are opportunities for staff to prove themselves:

“Our approach is to use skills training and on the job mentoring and talent development.

Promotions generally come from within, except where some new skill set is required and nobody already possesses it.”

By rewarding existing staff before looking to external recruitment, a spirit of community has been put into place at Promor and a sense of innovative working practices dominates everyday activities as well. With the team being expected to remain cutting edge and aware of industry developments, there is a sense of professional pressure, but this

Promor

is precisely what has set Promor apart from its nearest competitors:

“The industry is starting to pull out of recession thus there is strong competition due to the current state of the market. The challenges are meeting clients’ needs and providing cost effective solutions. We set ourselves apart by managing this through the development of innovative solutions to our clients’ needs that are drawn from our extensive experience and backed up by research and close working relations with suppliers and manufacturers.”

No man is an island, even when working offshore, so it seems, and by embracing collaborative working practices, Promor is laying the foundations for future growth and increasingly larger projects.

For those in the know, Promor’s list of services and products will be impressively all encompassing, demonstrating a clear domination over clients’ needs and a definite grasp of the industry, from within. As an independent provider of both services and products, Promor doesn’t hide behind other brands, it is out there, under its own name and steam, supplying turret moorings, sub-sea systems and a host of other necessary elements: “The staff at Promor Pte. Ltd. has over 50 years of experience and a proven track record

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in successfully providing complete engineering services, adaptable designs which provide a flexible approach and solution and proprietary designs for bearings, fluid swivels and major components.”

Imagine doing all of this, whilst also actively protecting the environment and looking for opportunities to increase safety and diversity within the staffing body. That’s a heavy responsibility by anyone’s standards, but Promor takes it all in its stride, having been founded on these principles.

Customer satisfaction is always priority number one, but by retaining a firm grip on responsible operating methodologies and being vigilant to support the human resource element of the operation, this is a company that chases more than just the profit margins.

The ‘human’ approach is one that works, if Promor’s huge list of former and repeat clients is anything to go by. Including big names, such as Samsung, Petrofac, Rubicon, Quadrant Energy, Bumi Armada and PTSC, the portfolio is certainly strong and only getting more solid by the day, thanks to increasing numbers of new projects being won: “Promor is currently supplying an external turret on and EPC basis to a S.E Asian client for operation in the harsh South China Sea. We are also involved in ongoing operations support for several FPSO’s operating in the region as well.”

Engineering the best solutions

By cutting its operational teeth in notoriously difficult locations, Promor is, effectively, proving its mettle from the moment of inception. Lesser companies would try to get settled by taking on relatively easy or straightforward tenders, but that’s not the way this fresh and fearless team works.

Promor has made incredible ground in just 8 short years, but it’s the future that looks really exciting. With the perfect foundations in place for expansion and consolidation, these are the focus points for the management team in the next twelve months. As more viable projects materialise, Promor will be there, offering a unique and tailored set of engineered solutions. As the industry develops, so too will the team, ready to adapt and go with the flow and as the oil and gas sector becomes increasingly concerned with greener initiatives, Promor’s ethical mantra will play a hugely important role in helping other companies to meet their eco targets. You really couldn’t write a better success story for such a fledgling operation and it’s going to be fantastic to watch it grow.

“Over 15 years SBS prides itself to have been the partner of choice for many leading offshore equipment specialists.”

Our approach is practical yet professional, bringing smart and cost-effective bearing solutions to each customer, in respondence to their individual application needs.

A vast track record for tailor-made Sliding Bearings in critical offshore applications include: • • • • •

Turret and spread mooring systems Pipe-lay equipment Cranes and LARS systems Deck-handling equipment Renewable energy installations

Custom made bearings

Design and Engineering

On-board inspections

sbs-bearings.com Endeavour Magazine | 35

Written by members of the GEC

SUSTAINABLE GLASS Geotechnical Engineering Centre, University of Queensland chevron-square-right civil.uq.edu.au/research/geotechnical phone-square +61 7 3365 3642

Geotechnical Engineering Centre, University of Queensland

The Geotechnical Engineering Centre (GEC) is a long-established industry/UQ-funded centre within the School of Civil Engineering at The University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia. The GEC undertakes a range of training and research in Geotechnical Engineering applied to Civil and Mining Infrastructure, Mine Waste Management and Environmental Sustainability. Since 2016, the centre has also managed the Large Open Pit Project, currently supported by 10 global mining companies each contributing USD100,000 per annum, undertaking research and training in the geotechnics of large open pits applicable worldwide.

GEC ultra-high-speed camera 38 | Endeavour Magazine

S

ince its inception under Professor David Williams in 2007, the GEC has attracted direct funding of over AUD11 million, plus research funding of a similar order. Professor Williams also initiated and largely delivers the internationally recognised Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Professional Certificate Course in Tailings Management, which in four intakes over the last 12 months has attracted over 500 registrants from among tailings practitioners worldwide.

The GEC operates in Queensland and throughout Australia, as well as internationally through consulting and training. It offers unique testing and monitoring capability and expertise, much of which is not otherwise available within Australia or internationally.

A key driver is the dominant mining industry in Australia, which is facing increasing pressure to its social and financial licences to operate, plus the challenges to reduce its carbon footprint; this is spilling over to the sustainable use and recycling of resources, such as our work on crushed waste glass.

What sets the GEC apart is our leading testing and monitoring capability across the full range, from the testing of slurry-like materials such as mine tailings and dredged sediments, through the more conventional testing of soils and weak rocks, to the testing of hard rock and rock-like materials. We have a unique instrumented slurry consolidometer for testing the compressibility and permeability of mine tailings, dredged sediments, and mixtures of fine and coarse materials. We also have a true triaxial apparatus for testing materials ranging from weak to strong rocks, and we have a biaxial apparatus for testing plate-like samples held in two dimensions and impact loaded in the third direction to simulate collision. In addition, we have dual ultra-high-speed cameras and software to track the initiation and propagation of cracks in loaded rock-like specimens under loading.

In civil and mining infrastructure, this capability is applied to understanding the behaviour of rocklike materials under combined loading, hydraulic pressure and temperature. In the management of mine waste, it is applied to understanding mine tailings, and the operation and closure of mine waste facilities. For this purpose, we have developed a range of monitoring sensors and data loggers for application in the laboratory, in column testing, and

Sustainable glass

in the field. The sensors monitor material moisture state, water flow, and gases. We are also active in assessing the use of crushed waste glass as a replacement for natural and manufactured sand, and the recycling of mine wastes.

Currently, there are nine full-time academic/ research staff and about 30 PhD students working on Geotechnical Engineering applications. The GEC is directed by Professor David Williams, who has been at UQ since 1986, and key personnel include Dr Mehdi Serati (Rock Mechanics, engaged since the start of his PhD in 2010 and subsequently as a GEC Lecturer), Dr Chenming Zhang (Monitoring, engaged since the start of his PhD in 2010 and subsequently as a Senior Researcher in the GEC), and Sebastian Quintero (Geotechnical Laboratory Manager since 2014). The GEC interacts with a range of other researchers and practitioners across UQ and Australia, and internationally, including in Canada, the USA, South America and Europe.

The GEC aims to be a leading supplier of sophisticated laboratory and field-testing facilities for research, commercial testing and training in

areas such as Tailings Management and Large Open Pits. For example, we are further developing our rock testing capability, as well as self-powered and wireless sensors. We will continue to advance our current capabilities and add new ones, and plan to actively collaborate and engage with industry and researchers.

Under COVID-19 travel restrictions, we have moved to online meetings and teaching, and been able to maintain our research, commercial testing, and training. Limited travel to test sites has been possible within Australia, including within Queensland, and to Tasmania and South Australia, plus to New South Wales and Western Australia on occasion. Intermittent lockdowns over the last two years have slightly disrupted the progress of some long-term laboratory tests. Lockdowns have also promoted remote monitoring of sites, which we provide. The Australian Government has provided additional funding to universities to compensate for lost student income, and the GEC has been fortunate to receive funding for two ongoing positions in 2022.

GEC true triaxial testing facility Endeavour Magazine | 39

Geotechnical Engineering Centre, University of Queensland

Advanced Rock Testing and Research Capabilities applied to Civil and Mining Infrastructure All materials fail when loading exceeds their strength, which is most usually tested in the laboratory. Despite tremendous developments in materials testing over the years, unwanted failures of earthen and built structures can occur due to the unreliable, inconsistent, overestimated, inaccurate or even wrong measurements of the actual material strength. To help fill the gap in the existing geotechnical and materials testing capabilities in Australia and globally, and to address the research and development needs for leading-edge testing of rock, concrete, and rock-like composites and polymers, the GEC has been extending its wideranging rock testing and research capabilities since 2012. This has been led by Dr Mehdi Serati, assisted

by Professor Williams and Sebastian Quintero, who is rapidly developing a national and international reputation for his expertise in the testing of brittle rock-like materials.

This includes the GEC’s unique AUD2 million (Commonwealth Government and Universityfunded) National Hybrid True Triaxial/Biaxial Load Testing Facility, a high-stress consolidometer, a large range of servo-controlled loading frames, actuators and hydraulic pressure supplies ranging from 100 kN to 10 MN, advanced highspeed processing computers, Scanning Electron Microscope imaging, Micro-CT scanning, and stereo high-speed cameras equipped with 3D Digital Image Correlation software platforms.

issues related to failure in rock and brittle solids, such as glass, hard rock, concrete, and ceramics, used in Civil, Mining, Mineral Processing, Materials and Mechanical Engineering. The outcomes will help us to further provide guidelines for the safer and optimal design of structures, automated machines, excavations, foundations, rock breakage, testing and drilling equipment, cutting, tunnelling and mining industries, which are of critical importance to the growing Australian economy.

Mine Waste Management and Monitoring Capabilities Professor Williams is internationally recognised for his expertise and experience in mine waste management and mine closure. He is particularly recognised for his expertise in tailings dams, and the closure and rehabilitation of tailings dams and waste rock dumps, including the design of covers.

He carries out high-level reviews of and provides expert advice, opinion and review on tailings dam designs, and tailings and waste rock facility closure and value-adding. He was a member of the Expert Panel engaged to investigate the technical causes

In particular, the GEC’s true triaxial and biaxial rigs are a unique facility in Australia and are capable of applying high anisotropic stresses in two or three orthogonal directions, at elevated temperature up to 100oC, to test rock-like materials in cubes measuring 50, 100 or 200 mm, under saturated or unsaturated conditions. The facility is also capable of testing for strength, deformation, permeability and hydraulic fracture, and can monitor the evolution of progressive damage in a loaded material with state-of-the-art acoustic emission and ultrasonic equipment.

With such advanced rock testing and research facilities available at the GEC (found in only a hand-full of universities globally), we are able to address longlasting and fundamental strength measurement 40 | Endeavour Magazine

GEC instrumented slurry consolidometer

Sustainable glass

of the fatal Brumadinho Tailings Dam I failure in Brazil in 2019.

He authored in 2009 and 2016 the Tailings Management Handbook, as part of the Commonwealth Leading Practice Sustainable Development Program for the Mining Industry. He is on the Working Party for the Australian National Committee for Large Dams Guidelines on Tailings Dams – Planning, Design, Construction, Operation and Closure, published in 2012 with an Addendum in 2019 and currently under review. He initiated and largely delivers the AusIMM Professional Certificate Course in Tailings Management.

Professor Williams research funding has totalled over $10 million, and he has over 300 refereed publications, including seven book chapters, over 100 refereed journal articles and over 200 refereed conference publications, plus numerous research and consulting reports. About two-thirds of these publications are in the mine waste field.

Dr Chenming Zhang has developed a range of soil sensors for assessing the moisture state, water flow, and gases in soils and mine wastes, together with standalone data loggers to enable real-time

data collection and analysis. The data is relayed to users via the web.

GEC monitoring projects have included instrumented column tests, largely carried out in the field with monitoring of the driving climate. Smallscale instrumented column tests have included monitoring the consolidation, desiccation and re-wetting of tailings and covers over tailings. The largest field installation has been six 1m diameter by 4m high columns instrumented for moisture, oxygen and seepage quantity and quality, to assess the effectiveness of various covers over potentially acid forming waste rock in the cold, wet climate of south-west Tasmania.

Recycling Wastes to Conserve Natural Sand and Promote Transition Towards a Circular Economy GEC researchers are investigating alternative and sustainable geomaterials to help reduce the over-exploitation of natural aggregates, and utilise ever-increasing wastes as alternative geomaterials in civil and geotechnical construction.

Failure of Brumadinho Tailings Dam I failure in Brazil in 2019 Dr Chenming Zhang’s sensors and data logger

Endeavour Magazine | 41

Geotechnical Engineering Centre, University of Queensland

Globally, massive volumes of natural and manufactured (quarried) sand are extracted every year, mainly for use in construction.

Natural and manufactured sand has become the second biggest resource mined and traded by volume on Earth, after freshwater. A lmost 50 billion tonnes of natural sand and gravel are extracted every year, equivalent to nearly 18 kilograms per person per day, greatly exceeding formation rates, damaging the environment, harming animal and aquatic species and adding to biodiversity loss. Indiscriminate natural sand mining could also promote coastal erosion, making coastal communities susceptible to natural disasters while bringing economic losses to the eco-tourism industry. Simultaneously, several countries face a looming risk of a shortage of natural sand to meet their domestic requirements, skyrocketing prices of natural sand, and even causing conflicts and regulatory challenges due to illegal sand mining in many parts of the world.

A massive 1 million tonnes of waste glass are stockpiled every year in Australia, causing disposal challenges, adding pressure on landfills and bringing

economic losses due to its indefinite storage in warehouses in many councils, arising mainly from the limited end-uses of waste glass.

Waste glass is non-biodegradable, and its landfilling might not be an ideal disposal choice as it could occupy valuable land space that might otherwise be used for high-productivity applications. Also, the expensive colour sorting of the mixed-coloured waste glass often makes it uneconomical for re-use.

Danish Kazmi, a PhD Candidate and researcher at the GEC, is researching the use of crushed waste glass obtained from 100% recycled glass as a total replacement for traditional construction sands, specifically for use in sand columns to reinforce ground of poor bearing capacity.

The primary mineral present in waste glass and traditional construction sands is silica. Using crushed waste glass as a replacement for natural and quarried sand in geotechnical construction could offer a double sustainability benefit by conserving a depleting natural resource and

GEC rooftop instrumented slurry consolidation/desiccation/ cover columns 42 | Endeavour Magazine

Sustainable glass

recycling an ever-increasing waste. This could also bring several knock-on benefits, all inextricably linked to the environment. Research-wise, however, the use of crushed waste glass in geotechnical construction applications is relatively understudied and under-exploited.

Performed in collaboration with leading national and international organisations, our research shows that the geotechnical behaviour of crushed waste glass is sensitive to its particle size. At a specific particle size range and gradation, we found that crushed waste glass exhibits geotechnical behaviour similar, or sometimes even superior, to that of traditional construction sands. Most interestingly, the results of our geocomposite (clay reinforced by a sand columns) testing shows that crushed waste glass, when used at optimal parameters, could potentially be used as a full replacement for traditional construction sands to backfill granular columns. This could not only help provide wide-ranging economic and environmental benefits but also complement our paradigm shift towards a circular economy.

We are also studying the use of crushed waste glass in a wider range of civil and mining applications,

including shotcrete production, road pavement design, and backfilling in mines and tunnels. In particular, the GEC’s Dr Mehdi Serati is leading a current project (sponsored by the Queensland Government) on the development of sustainable shotcrete using crushed waste glass for use in expanding underground mines and tunnels across Australia.

We at the GEC believe in the need to prioritise the sustainability of our planet in every walk of life to hand over a better planet to future generations.

This includes a sustainable solution to the use ` of sand.

Crushed waste glass as a replacement for diminishing and carbon-intensive natural or manufactured sand Endeavour Magazine | 43

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY Wiluna Mining chevron-square-right wilunamining.com.au phone-square +61 8 9322 6418

Wiluna Mining

This Australia-based, single-site gold producer is sitting on a generous portion of land with a rich history and a tantalizingly promising future.

In terms of the mining industry, it’s the perfect situation to be in, but it wasn’t happened upon by chance: we took a look at Wiluna Mining and how it strategically set itself up into its current position, and the work it’s still doing to make this situation even better still.

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A

pproximately 750km north-earth of Perth, in Western Australia, Wiluna Mining holds a highly prospective site. This site is found within the Yilgarn Craton, at the northernmost tip of the area, covering an impressive 1,600 square kilometers in total. This 1,600 square kilometers was no accident: it was stitched together and consolidated out of the mining and exploration concessions around this area of Wiluna, making one sizable and generous land package for its owner to focus on. Why? Because the Yilgarn Craton is famously endowed with notable amounts of gold.

Found in Western Australia’s Northern Goldfields, the Yilgarn Craton has a collective historic and current gold endowment of over 380 million ounces.

This makes it not only one of the most profitable gold regions in Australia, but in the world. In its 1,600 square kilometer land package, Wiling Mining – which owns 100% of the ASX listed Wiluna Gold Operation – has an endowment of approximately 10 million ounces. This large gold system is in active production, with some of the company’s sites – such as the Matilda Mining Centre (active 20162020) no longer operating, and others (such as the Wiluna Mining Centre) in full swing. Overall, it has a defined resource of 8.04 Moz at a grade of 1.63g/t Au, including this high-grade mineral resource the Wiluna Mining Centre of 4.24 Moz at 4.89 g/t. In 2020, Wiling Mining produced 61,885 ounces of gold, at an all-in sustaining cost of A$1950/oz/.

However, whilst production is already profitable, the company knows that there is much further to go, and it does not intend to waste the fantastic resource it has by leaving it only partially utilised.

Instead, the company states, in its own words, that it has a plan to “leverage the operation’s multimillion ounce potential”. For example, the land has many shallows shoot targets that remain untapped, so the company is looking to begin drilling them from the surface. In fact, some of these, it has already reached, but the company is currently giving itself a drilling depth cap of 600m. Deeper shoots also remain, and these shall be utilised too in time.

This isn’t all – the company is looking very deliberately, and strategically, at growth. Its land package can support more output, and the company plans to expand to support this. In part, this expansion will manifest in the form of further, thorough exploration to expand its current slate of resources within its land. The company describes a “fully-funded, major exploration campaign” as one of its main future goals, which should lead to

Wiluna Mining

new drilling efforts in high-priority targets. However, many mining companies could say the same - Wiluna is doing more than that. For one thing, it is working to transition what it offers: currently a free milling operation, the company is looking to transition into the production of gold concentrate. This will be on top of, rather than instead of, producing gold ore from underground sulphide ore, free milling underground ore and carrying out tailings retreatment.

In anticipation of this transition, the company has made agreements with its investors to supply 70% of its initial concentrate productions, or 122,500 dry tons of gold concentrate (whichever is greater) to the London-listed Polymetal Group, and to supply 30% of its initial concentrate production (for the first three years) to global metals trader Trafigura.

Overall, Wiluna Mining’s initial planned expansion will see its gold production grow to 120,000 ounces per year. Ultimately, its dreams are even higher. Its end-goal is a production target of 250,000 ounces a year – more than double its current target. Already the 7th largest gold district under single ownership in Australia, hitting this target would make it the 15th largest single-site gold producer in the world.

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There’s a long way yet to go, but the path towards it has been carefully and strategically plotted out, with predicted numbers and evidenced gold systems that make the outcome seem very possible indeed.

With this new plan and new direct came a new identity. In May 2019, Wiluna’s management team changed, and with the change came this new focus, new direction, and also a new name. Previously the Wiluna Mining Corporation, the company was now known simply as “Wiluna Mining”, for reasons the company felt passionately about and expressed strongly:

“The name change to ‘Wiluna Mining’ represents a new chapter in the Wiluna story.

The name change is more than cosmetic; it’s an important step in culturally building our business to be united under a new identity.

It speaks to our new aspiration, purpose and ultimately, our strategic vision for transformational future growth.”

Currently, Wiluna’s active operations include 20 open pits and three underground mines, all within 20 km of Wiluna’s in-house processing facilities and

Golden opportunity

gold plant. However, with a further 70 high-potential exploration prospects in general just within its existing land package, the only way for the company to do is up – or, in this case, down. With this expansion still very much underway, and in fact currently in the middle of a 24-month plan to increase its shareholder value, it is an exciting project to invest in, and one that looks set to pay out. Between its existing gold systems, its drill results and its sheer number of promising exploration sites, there can be little doubt that Wiluna is sitting on top of some extremely valuable land, and the more its newlymotivated, freshly led team pushes, the greater the potential it will be able to tap.

Endeavour Magazine | 49

Amazing World

Written by James Lapping

THE ARAL SEA

D

uring much of the 20th Century, the Soviet Union ruled across a vast expanse of Eastern-Europe and Central Asia. In the region of Central Asia, which is now the countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea was sat between these nations and was a vital source of water, fish, and stimulation for the economy in the surrounding communities.

This landlocked freshwater lake has a rich history: it was formed over two million years ago and was once the western frontier of the Chinese Tang Empire in the 1st Century CE. Since then, the Aral Sea has been important landmark for various groups that controlled the regions surrounding it, including the Mongol Empire and the Russian Empire.

When the Soviet Union took control of the Kazakh state in 1920, the Aral Sea was the 4th largest lake in the world. The Aral Sea maintained its size due to the inflow of not one, but two major rivers. The first is the river named the Syr Darya, situated on the north side of the Aral Sea. The Syr Darya originates

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from the Tian Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan and Eastern Uzbekistan. To the south of the Aral Sea is the second inflow river, the Amu Darya. This river originates from the snowmelt and rain from the Pamir mountains that rise just north of the Hindu Kush Mountain range in northern Afghanistan.

The Aral Sea remained undisturbed until the early 1960’s when the Soviet Union began a vast water diversion project in the Central Asian region to transform the surrounding desert into a suitable land for farming cotton and other crops, such as melons, rice and cereals. The Syr Darya and the Amu Darya that flow into the Aral Sea were diverted to nearby plantations and farms on a previously deserted landscape to help crops thrive. From an economic point of view, it can be argued that this plan was a relative success, as cotton produced in the region is still one of Uzbekistan’s most bountiful crops. However, the impact on the Aral Sea itself was devastating. Before the start of the irrigation of water from the inflow rivers, the Aral Sea was 53

metres above sea level and covered 68,000 square kilometres.

Due to the diversions of water from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya, the lake quickly dried up. By the early 1990’s, the salinity of the sea had tripled, causing the water to be completely undrinkable and killing off the wide variety of fish that lived in the sea such as carp and sturgeon. The area of the sea had reduced by over half to 33,800 square kilometres, whilst the sea level dropped by 15 metres.

The shrinkage of the Aral Sea has had remarkable affects on the surrounding environment. The driedout lake has turned into a vast desert. The port cities of Aral and Muynak were once thriving populations with an abundance of fisheries; the ships that once graced the Aral Sea at these ports are now strewn across the landscape, like a graveyard of a now forgotten era. The images of abandoned ships in the middle of a desert surrounded by camels has now caught the attention of many due the uncanniness of the scene.

Endeavour Magazine | 51

Sadly, there are much more severe consequences to the drainage of the Aral Sea. In the short term, the communities that surround the sea and relied on it for the fishing industry all collapsed. Longer lasting consequences include widespread pollution in the region from the pesticides and fertilizer that run off into the lake. The dust that settles on the now-exposed lakebed is toxic from the agricultural contamination, and dust storms are a severe hazard to people that still live in the region. This pollution has caused sickness for people living in the area, particularly women and children. Toxins have been found in the blood and breastmilk - toxins which cause low birthweight and abnormalities such as the stunting of growth of children. Cancer, lung disease and tuberculosis are also rife in the remaining settlements around the former Aral Sea. This situation is not helped by the economic and health policy of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan: many hospitals in the region are underfunded and lack infrastructure to deal with the ongoing health crisis that the pollution of the remaining Aral Sea has caused.

When the Aral Sea was still in its original form, there were approximately 1,100 tiny islands dotted across it. One of the main islands was called Vozrozhdenya Island. This island is now a peninsular that cuts through the remaining sea, but during the

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Cold War it held many dark secrets. Vozrozhdenya Island was used throughout the Cold War as a secret location to test biological weapons: the Soviets tested weaponized smallpox, bubonic plague, and anthrax. The remnants of these experiments remain in the region and add to the population caused by agricultural practices.

The fate of the Aral Sea is a severe ecological warning, and it is unsettling to know that this isn’t the only example of a major lake drying up in the 20th and early 21st Century. Lake Chad intersecting though Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, Qinghai Lake in China, and Lake Urmia in Iran are just three other examples of lakes that are suffering at the hands of poorly managed irrigation and other usages that divert inflow away from the respective lakes. A few hundred miles east of the Aral Sea lays the Caspian Sea. This is still the largest inland body of water in the world, but scientists also believe that in the 21st Century, the Caspian Sea may expect the same fate at the Aral Sea in the 20th Century. The shrinking of the Caspian Sea could be devasting for local economies surrounding the sea, as well as affecting global shipping trade routes that rely on the Caspian Sea to connect Europe, the Middle Eas and Asia.

All hope is not lost for the Aral Sea, though. The central Asian states came together in 1994 to create

©NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Shrinking Aral Sea, Flickr a taskforce to rekindle the dwindling sea through incentives such as the reduction of water intensive farming in the region. However, due to the ongoing political rivalries between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, major process has been hindered by various roadblocks. The one major success in the restoration of the Aral Sea has been aided by the World Bank. In 2005, the Kokaral Dam was completed. This dam helps maintain (as well as refill) the northern section of the Aral Sea and is also reinvigorating the fishing economy in Kazakhstan. Fish are repopulating the lake and the old port city of Aral is refinding its former glory.

However, the same cannot be said for the south side of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan. The World Bank has also attempted restoration projects here, but the Uzbek cotton farming industry still relies heavily on the irrigation of water from the Amu Darya River.

Uzbekistan is still the 5th largest global exporter of cotton and relies on this industry for its many towns’ and cities’ economy and employment.

The dried-up areas of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan may even be drilled for natural gases as a lastditch solution: understandably but unfortunately, Uzbekistan is considering the economic situation and employment opportunities of its citizens over consideration for the environment.

In an age steeped in environmental crisis, the Aral Sea is a timely reminder to us all. Not only is climate change causing drastic events across the globe, but human interference and irresponsible practices are creating devastating impacts too.

However, as the restoration of the Northern Aral Sea shows, there is still hope: the earth is our only home and if we can look after it, humans and nature can prosper hand in hand.

Endeavour Magazine | 53

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

PROTECTING KENYA PEMAK chevron-square-right www.pemak.co.ke phone-square +254 734 447 777

PEMAK

When speaking with Kapi a couple of months ago, we heard all about the pest control needs faced by the people of Kenya, including the ongoing locust crisis. We heard about how these needs were not always met by Kenya’s government or even the UN body representatives placed within the country and charged with checking the safety and conduct of the nation’s pest control measures. All the more reason, therefore, to need a nonprofit organisation like PEMAK – the Pest Management Association of Kenya.

A

lso known as the Pest Control Association of Kenya, PEMAK is a nonprofit organization that has been in operation since 2006. Its birth was devised three years earlier, at the Kenya Agricultural and Research Institute (KARI) in Kabete.

It took three years of discussion and debate to fully lay out the vision for PEMAK – time well spent, to make sure that this association would benefit and meet the needs of not only the pest control companies that it would represent, but also the people of Kenya who rely on such products. Finally, after much careful consideration and planning, and its unofficial launch of activity in 2006, its official launch took place in 2007, at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi.

The association described its vision for itself as thus: “To be an organized pest control sector where members are guided by and strictly adhere to a code of conduct aimed at promoting integrity and fair competition.”

Furthermore, expanding upon this starting vision, the association therefore set itself this mission as a set of goals it needed to achieve, in order to say it was successfully fulfilling its purpose: “To provide a forum where members can engage in open dialogue and plan how to tackle issues relating to the improvement of pests control measures, aimed at providing high standards of professional services while minimizing the risk to users, consumers, and to counter the development of resistance by target organisms while ensuring environment safety.”

Within that relatively short paragraph is a great deal to unpack: firstly, the association was, and is, committed to allowing open communication and debate, allowing for more effective planning over how to respond to the potential hazards and issues of their industry, and also allowing a platform for people to air concerns that other companies may, initially, not wish to hear. This sort of open platform, if used fairly, is the first massive step towards countering every kind of failing from simple mistakes and areas for improvement all the way through to deliberate corruption – both of which must be guarded against in any industry.

This forum, and this association, also stated in this mission statement that it cared about elevating

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Protecting Kenya

the standards of the industry, looking to provide both the means and motive for companies to pull themselves up and meet a certain bar of excellence and accountability. Finally, it raised a critical issue: the ongoing push-and-shove tug of war between the need to keep pesticide measures up to date and effective against pest resistance, and yet to think about the impact such measures have on the environment, plat life, crops and the health of the local community. These are critical questions, and as we found in our recent previous issue, questions that have been the source for heated and even controversial debate whilst the country has tackled a locust emergency.

This is a great weight of responsibility, and PEMAK was founded in order to shoulder this responsibility in a nonprofit capacity, doing so for the good of the country and industry. Its current leaders have been serving since 2015: its Chairman is Evans Mutuva; its Vice Chairman, Jackson Kidavasi; its treasurer, Samuel Gikonyo. The only member of this team to change more recently in the hard-working role of the Secretary: starting at the same time as these

Environmental Management Consultancy Hygiene Sanitary Disposal Services Office & Home Cleaning Anti-Termite Treatment General Pest Control & Fumigation

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www.pestlab.co.ke info@pestlab.co.ke

+254 020 218 2997/ 0753 667 700 0724/32 699 606 / 0722-796156

Applewood, 2nd FIr, Suite 206, Adams Arcade Ngong Rd, Opp Green House, Nairobi P.O Box 6424 - 00200 Nairobi

Feminine hygiene

Endeavour Magazine | 57

PEMAK

contemporaries was Marine Luseka, but she has since resigned and been replaced by Joel Muyera Atuto in an acting capacity.

This team has had not only a locust crisis to answer to, but also a pandemic. It has offered its members advice and support in reference to the Covid crisis, including stickers to be issues to vehicles that were carrying out essential pestcontrol work during national lockdowns. These visual certifications from PEMAK showed the essential workers who needed to be allowed to carry out their duties during these times, and the fact that such stickers were recognised shows the influence and presence that PEMAK holds within the country.

As an association, PEMAK is supported by its members, and therefore it needs to make sure that it provides its members with valuable and beneficial services. It also needs to uphold its responsibility as a protector of standards. So, what exactly does PEMAK do to support those in Kenya’s pest control industry? It provides many offerings and runs a number of activities, including education and training for those both working within the industry and relying upon it – after all, when it comes to matters of environmental safety, it is important that

those making pest control choices do so from a wellinformed standpoint. In fact, it goes a step further than this to achieve this aim: as well as providing education for those who seek it, it also actively boosts awareness to get these messages out to the wider population, and also positions itself as a source of commentary from which to find guidance and opinions on such matters. It liases with the government and even looks abroad to international input on these topics. Meanwhile, in terms of helping in a more business-orientated direction, it also provides networking events and opportunities, looks to boost job creation, and seeks to work with those throughout the operations and supply chain to economically empower those working within this sector.

The work of an association is never a simple one, and pest control is an area that is crucial to get right; get it wrong, and either people or the environment suffer, or both. Strong, quick and efficient pest control measures are key, both to protect agriculture and to protect people, but this must be pursued in the right way, and that is exactly the quest that PEMAK is on, working with its members to move Kenya’s pest control towards the best it can be.

OTHER SERVICES.

National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) is a state corporation established under CAP 338 of the laws of Kenya and is registered with the Pest Control and Products Board (PCPB). NCPB offers pest control and other post-harvest services at competitive rates.

Pest control services use approved pesticides. The Board has a countrywide network comprising six regional pest control teams.

For more information, please contact the following regional managers;

0712-312766

NCPB IS ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFIED

Leaders in Trade & Management of Agricultural Commodities 58 | Endeavour Magazine

From The Horse’s Mouth

SCHOOLING FOR JOY Written by Sylvia Loch www.sylvialoch.com www.classicalriding.co.uk www.classicalseat.co.uk

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O

n two occasions, when I had really important people visit my yard, the differences in our attitude to training and schooling was striking, and the outcome at the time was very disappointing. Looking back now, however, I realise that I wouldn’t change anything.

The first time was many years ago, when we lived in Suffolk. I had a wonderful seven-year-old Lusitano stallion for sale which had been bred by good friends of mine in Portugal. With impeccable breeding lines and a lovely flamboyance of movement, I had high expectations for him. Not only had I broken him in and brought him on carefully to about medium level dressage, he was already showing talent for changes and a promising piaffe. The decision to sell had not come lightly, but with publishing deadlines and altogether too much on my plate, I knew it was the right thing at the time.

The second occasion was several years after we moved to Scotland. A European publicist was planning a trip to connect with various British writers

and together with one of her authors - a dressage trainer, like me - she wanted to meet up. Apparently, both were familiar with my books but wanted to meet the horses too. Although I did not know them at all, I did what comes naturally with foreign visitors of similar persuasion and invited them to stay, since they had made no prior booking and living far from the city, as we do, it seemed inhospitable not to offer.

*** Back to my experience in Suffolk... the first serious person to view the stallion for sale was a Dutchman who (I soon assessed) was lacking much knowledge. He had brought along his trainer, a Frenchman. What was my mistake? Well, some might have given the horse a good lunge first before the visitors arrived, put him back in the stable, groomed him up again and then started the ridden work when they arrived – as though from scratch. That is not

my way. Like all young stallions (I call seven young), this one was hot and always frisky first thing, so the first ten minutes in the school is generally the fun time. I generally start the warm-up in walk with some bend and stretch work, lateral exercises of very short duration, eg. a few steps of shoulder-in, ditto travers, ditto half pass on both reins, 90 degree turns on the hocks and half circles to ease the joints and lots of long reign. This is then followed by forward and straight work ridden off their backs in a light seat. Only then do we settle down to the work proper. This gets the horse forward-thinking, loose through the shoulders and ready to concentrate.

And that is what we did. It was a beautiful morning and my stallion was full of the joys of spring. When it came to the canter down the long side, he was light on the bridle and happy as a bird. I often take the reins right forward until they are totally slack and hold a horse in this balance with my body to show the horse is not reliant on the rein, before taking it up again. The visitors were not impressed. By the Endeavour Magazine | 61

time we had settled to start the serious exercises of the day, the horse eager but relaxed with a lovely wet mouth, I was amazed to see the trainer and his client walking back to the stables.

The disinterest was plain. I can only imagine they did not read the situation. Was it possible they thought that because I had not yet ridden several long diagonals in extended trot (sitting), collected canter with changes, several full half-passes from one side of the long arena to the other, etc... we could not do them? The thing was, we could! But not straight out of the stable. I like to warm up first.

It was no good protesting, ‘Hey, now we are going to show you all the movements!’ - I’d lost their interest. They were clearly ignorant. End of story – no sale. Just as well.

***

The publicist’s visit was something else. I only knew them by name but since they were from overseas, we were more than happy for the pair to come and stay. My husband knew the area where the trainer had her yard, so thoughtfully produced from his cellar the very best of their national wine to make them feel at home! Two rooms were made up and I went to some trouble to produce a threecourse dinner for their first evening in Scotland. The next day dawned bright for showing them the horses on the yard. At that time, I had three schoolmasters, one young stallion - Prazer - to bring on and a lovely young livery horse recently arrived from Portugal which I was helping a talented teenager to learn to school and ride correctly.

The visitors watched this combination first, and then it was time to work Prazer before my other students turned up for lessons. He was still a little weak in the back at this stage and inclined to buck with too much pressure, so off we went into the

warm-up routine in walk but he was too distracted to settle. In the end, I worked him in a light seat in trot – to ‘blow the cobwebs away’. He was determined to canter so after a while we compromised a little and basically had some fun. I do not believe in rigidly insisting on a particular exercise, particular gait at this stage of the proceedings. Generally, it is better to go with the flow to get the horse comfortable and supple. The real discipline required for later will naturally follow - which it always does - but I never force it. It has to feel right first.

The expression on the faces of the visitors was unique. I always give myself one hundred per cent to the horse as I work, but you’d have had to be blind not to pick up on the looks and asides. There was even barely concealed laughter, and it was not complimentary. Often, they turned their backs.

That evening, my daughter and I took our guests on a tour of the local town, the abbey and the castle.

That evening, another sumptuous dinner, only this

To buy ALL Sylvia’s books and DVD’s please visit www.classicalriding.co.uk

time my husband brought out some champagne! I had even arranged a lift to take our guests back to the airport, but have to confess I was not altogether sorry to see them go.

Unfortunately, the horsey world can be very impolite. We never received a thank you note or even an email. Word got back to me that they were not impressed despite the fact my older horses were immaculate in their work, which was of a high quality.

I had done them the honour of seeing the horses before they were warmed up... not afterwards. It is all too easy to show off, but I had allowed them into my home and into the preparation, thinking they really loved horses and might want to learn a thing or two.

*** All this goes to show that we are all different. I believe in making the schooling process a joy for horses. I am not rigid in my outlook when we first come into the school; I make allowances, especially for young horses. I am very disciplined in that I will ask for an exercise again and again until I have honed it to be as good as it can be – but not necessarily in the same moment or even the same lesson or even the same week. There will be times when one just diverts the attention elsewhere and uses the energy to do something else. I want schooling to be a joyful time for horses even though I am a perfectionist for myself. This may sound contradictory, but it is quite possible to combine the two.

I always end on a note of triumph, so I choose wisely what I will ask of the horse. There will be times I know he is not capable of offering something at that moment in time. I accept this. The wisdom of schooling is to know when to ask and how to ask.

Clearly in a dressage test, we have to do something at a particular moment and in a particular way, but you are much more likely to get a good result if you have taught the horse to enjoy his work in the first place.

With repeated reward and praise, horses begin to glow in the presence of their trainer or rider. They will try and try again – often offering everything in a quite inspiring way. To work with zest but without stress is a great compliment from the horse. The psychology of training is just as important as the training itself.

Looking back, it didn’t really matter about the two sets of people who did not understand. There are thousands of people I have taught over the years that do. We were just very different.

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

MAJULAH SINGAPURA Ed Züblin chevron-square-right www.zublin.com.sg phone-square +65 6339 0436

Ed Züblin

You only have to catch of glimpse of the Singapore skyline to recognize it. A city of glittering skyscrapers and equally glittering beach parties, this urban island nation is a world of its own – one of success and vibrant development, with a melting-pot population living together on self-contained shores. Yet, such a situation poses challenges: with finite space, and yet an infinite appetite for progress, construction is a careful endeavour that must be carried out with exacting talent and precision. Fortunately, Ed. Züblin’s Singapore branch has a long track record of navigating the island’s challenges.

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wiss engineer Eduard Züblin established Ed Züblin AG 1898. Still based in Stuttgart this far-reaching company operates as a valued branch of an even greater construction giant, the European entity STRABAG. Under STRABAG, which operates across the construction and civil engineering sectors worldwide, Züblin has carried out this work for clients from over 50 countries, the main focus of which being the heavy demands of underground construction, and its main areas of focus being Thailand and Singapore.

This underground work consists majoritively of pipe jacking and tunnel lining. Whilst not as glamourous as building a glitzy hotel, these industries are essential and in high demand in Southeast Asia, creating a buoyant but highly competitive market. This competition is heightened by the demands of the task: the reality of urban tunneling is far more complex than it may seem to a layman, and especially to a full and thriving city such as Singapore.

Contending with earthworks and concrete is only a fraction of the challenge facing such companies; obstacles such as existing sewage and drainage systems, electric cabling and other infrastructure snakes through the dense and developed city, a Gillian-esque controlled chaos powering the lifestyle above. Of course, we can’t complete this list without including Singapore’s advanced underground metro system! Thankfully, with 50 years’ experience in the design and production of all kinds of reinforced jacking pipes and tunnel lining segments, Ed. Züblin have the skills they need to not only rise to the task, but to compete it.

To navigate around Singapore’s subterranean labyrinths, the company uses a range of technologies, including curve drives to lay curved tunnels where straight drives aren’t possible, and a new inner-sleeve technology to counteract the limitations of concrete piping. Their array of tools and toys also includes a range of gantry cranes, TBMs, telescopic excavators, de-silting centrifuges and full power plants, to name but some. In fact, the Züblin brand established itself as ahead of the technological curve when it pioneered the centrifugal process for concrete pipe production in 1923. With this legacy, the company’s reputation for complex and reliable work has continued,

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Majulah Singapura

ever developing new production processes whilst providing reliable quality in their tried and tested methods.

Some of Züblin’s recently completed Singapore projects include its latest work in Jurong Island, a reclaimed island just south of Singapore’s mainland and previously the site of Züblin projects such as the Jurong Island Channel Tunnel (which connected the two islands together). More recently, wrapping up shortly before the pandemic, the company constructed a series of service tunnels, access shafts and ancillary works under the island: two packages, seven locations, 17 shafts and 19 pipejacking drives in total. The works were carried out for the Jurong Town Corporation, for a contract of SGD$100 million in total.

In terms of the company’s current projects, the most notable by far is the DTSS sewer link ‘Super Highway’. Phase 1 of this project was completed all the way back in 2008, but Phase 2 is not expected to be completed and connected to Phase 1 until 2025, which gives an idea of the scale of the work. Phase 1 provided this fully operational, ‘super highway’ sewage system for eastern Singapore, and Phase 2 covers the western side. This sewage system, which relies entirely on gravity to move used water through, has been designed as a sustainable solution to the needs of the ever-growing city, and will travel to all three of the islands’ coastal water reclamation treatment plants.

A total of 12km in length, Phase 2 of this project represents a contract of an impressive SGD$499 million. It will involve several types of temporary shaft construction works, such as diaphragm wall, cast in-situ, sheet piling, secant-bored pile and others.

Züblin have been quoted to say that they consider themselves “at the forefront of design, development and the production of new techniques in our area of operations.” Within the city itself, the company employs 360 highly trained staff, with a wider international team of over 1,200. Given the complexity of their work, the group strives to attract the most experienced and dedicated employees they can find – a goal they combine with a dedication to developing those already with the company, both through inhouse and, where needed, specialist external training. Of course, they

can also call on the expertise of their global team, including top German engineers (after all, STRABAG, Züblin’s parent company, enjoys a position as a German engineering leader.)

All of this means that Ed. Züblin is able to promise the very best in service and results to its customers, which in turns encourages companies to confidently trust it with multi-million-dollar tenders such as these. Much of Züblin’s time will be committed to this DTSS Superhighway until its completion, predicted for three years’ time, and after that, we have no doubt it will have a slate of contracts lined up for it. You can never be too careful in construction: quality is essential when building upwards, and even more so when digging down.

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

TOPPING IT OFF Roof Systems chevron-square-right roofsystemstt.com phone-square 1 (868) 285-9164

Roof Systems

Trinidad and Tobago are islands of industry, commerce and development, and that constant development calls for strong abilities in construction.

It is no wonder, then, that they are islands rich with many such companies, including the stand-out Roof Systems Ltd – a company that has distinguished itself from the crowd and taken the crown as market leader in its industry. The market area?

You guessed it – roofing.

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ounded in 2005, Roof Systems Ltd (RSL) has been on the scene for 17 years now, with over 60 years’ experience between its management team. Whilst well-established now, every company must start somewhere, and RSL entered a market in which there were many competitors. Be that as it may, it only took the company a little over a decade to become recognised as THE go-to, marketleading roofing company in Trinidad and Tobago.

We took a closer look at the company and how this acceleration and success came to pass.

RSL describes itself as a “young, forward-thinking organization with an enthusiasm and desire to deliver a first-class customer experience”. Whilst 17 years means it’s no new venture, in comparison to legacy companies with decades and decades behind them, it is certainly still a scrappy competitor to have in the mix – and one that has done extremely well for itself.

This success is because, in RSL’s case, much like with a roof itself, the strength of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It has become the company it is today due, in part, to a series of acquisitions that have expanded and strengthened the founda

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70 | Endeavour Magazine

Now three companies under one umbrella, RSL’s full offering includes subsidiaries Lift-It Ltd and Rellco. Lift-It Ltd, as you may guess from the name, works in the realm of lift rentals, as well as providing scaffolding, building maintenance and softwashing. Founded separately and later acquired by RSL, it contributes a helpful resource element to the wider undertaking of roof construction, as well as being a strong company in its own right. As for Rellco, this company focuses mainly on coating and finishing off builds and build materials: for example, it provides textured wall coatings, specialised floor coatings, shotcrete, dustless grit blasting and, very importantly, waterproofing. Again, these offerings contribute greatly to RSL’s wider efforts, and this is exactly why the company acquired them. This same approach – one that RSL itself called an “aggressive growth strategy” - also saw the company acquire assets from GGI Limited. In this instance, the assets were acquired without the company itself joining RSL’s operations roster. Instead, it allowed RSL to expand what it offered under its own name, including roofing designs, as well as allowing it to distribute and use GGI’s existing stock.

Topping it off

This level of growth is ambitious, but the ambition seems to have paid off. Now a solid entity that supports itself in many areas, RSL is able to offer a broad range of products and services to its customers and know with certainty that it will deliver a quality result.

Overall, RSL’s operations and activities cover both the mental and practical sides of roofing, offering services such as inspections and designs, as well as the fitting of roofing elements such as gutters, soffits and waterproofing, and even full roof construction or repair. As for the kind of roof it provides, the company deals in everything from lightweight screeds to heavy concrete builds: the range really is there for whatever is needed. As the company says itself, “We pride ourselves in finding just the right balance and practical solutions for your particular roofing needs, taking into consideration, your individual taste, budget and overall design.”

RSL wisely works closely with talented builders, architects and designers from external companies, as well as hiring its own, and with this collective team it carefully assesses each job.

This does not only extend to putting a roof on a new build, but replacing existing roofs. As the company explains, “There are many reasons why you may need to change the roof of your house or commercial building, whether your current roof is leaking, has problematic rainwater discharge, expensive maintenance costs, deficient energy efficiencies, require structural change or simply to improve the aesthetics of the roof or correct the current roof geometry.” There are a whole number of reasons to update or replace the roof of a building, and whether residential or commercial in project size, RSL is ready to take it on, and much more besides.

The company operates out of a number of locations across Trinidad and Tobago’s islands: it has facilities in Caroni, Arima, Port of Spain, Marabella and Canaan, Tobago. Much of the company’s production work takes place at a warehouse facility, which the company describes as “a state-of-the-art production facility for our factory operations, where the latest technologically advanced machines and equipment are used in our manufacturing process.”

As it is able to manufacture many of its own products in this way, either through RSL itself or one of its acquisitions, this also speeds up delivery and installation time, as well as efficiency, as parts can

arrive in the pieces needed, as pre-constructed or not as each individual case calls for.

RSL also has a centrally located warehouse, which allows it to keep its operations and customers well supplied, and in good time. As for the items it produces, as well as using the locally, RSL exports them through the Caribbean, to countries such as St. Martin, St. Vincent, Tortula, Antigua and Guyana.

RSL’s strategies have been wise: by both developing its own quality of performance, as well as bringing in other players of a similar quality to join its team, the company has expanded into an efficient and effective system that is able to take on almost any job in its field. With ongoing demand for construction and repair in Trinidad and Tobago, RSL is able to offer this expertise across industry sectors, involved in small and large scale projects alike – wherever a roof needs to be made, designed, enhanced or replaced.

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

‘WHERE GHANA SHOPS’ Melcom chevron-square-right www.melcom.com

Melcom

This company’s slogan says it all. This retail department chain is the biggest in Ghana, with a head office in the country’s capital of Accra and branches all over this West African nation. A household name throughout the country, Melcom stores are also known as the ‘One-Stop Shop’, the ‘House of Bargains’ and, just in case you interpreted the word ‘bargains’ as meaning ‘lower quality’, ‘Where Quality Costs Less’.

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hoppers today want convenience and speed.

The key to this, when you’re providing a retail location, is a wide-ranging and well-supplied stock. With over 15,000 items under one roof, Melcon has made sure to do just this. From every-day kitchen storage goods to full pieces of furniture, modern electronics and even a full selection of groceries, Melcom follows in the pattern of many superstores worldwide in providing almost everything a shopper could need.

In fact, this set-up means that Melcom is not only in a strong position as a retailer, but it is also able to offer wholesale services as well. Semiwholesale and full wholesale distribution serve as another source of activity and revenue for the business, making the most of its warehouses, stock and the trained efficiency of its teams in handling its logistics and goods.

According to the Melcom Group themselves, the chain’s rise to ‘household name’ status has been due to a variety of factors. Whilst what we have discussed so far is a cornerstone, it is not, in Melcom’s view, the only factor: the Group also

‘Where Ghana shops’

lists the quality of its merchandise, which is claims is as good as its availability and its pricing, as well as its person-to-person customer service. The Group brags “great service with a smile”, promising a friendly company culture that it aims to inspire in all of its key workers.

Its goods, however, it admits, are certainly important: “By sourcing products from all over the world,” says the company, “We are able to offer shoppers a huge range of extremely affordable goods, which leaves them spoilt for choice. Through perseverance, hard work and dedication from all levels of the vast workforce, it has been possible not only to identify and achieve these goals, but also to give ultimate consumer satisfaction, which is the essence of our existence.”

As well as a care for their customers, we would argue that also in the essence of their existence, there is a love for Ghana itself. Until recently, Bhagwan R. Khubchandani, the son of the Group’s founder, served as its chairman: unfortunately, he passed away exactly a year ago. However, the story of his father’s journey and Bhagwan’s

memories of his later career have been preserved in recollections penned by Bhagwan and shared by the Melcom Group. As he explained:

“Many may be surprised to discover that our journey in Ghana actually began 89 years ago, in 1929, when Ghana was known as the Gold Coast. My late father, Mr. Ramchand Khubchandani, immediately fell in love with the country and its people upon his arrival and decided to settle here. After working tirelessly for 17 years as a shop manager, he had saved enough to start his own business and made the decision to do so with his younger brother.

“In 1946 they ventured into a retail partnership, establishing the first GLAMOUR store in the heart of what was then Accra’s modestly-size central business district. Hard work and perseverance allowed them to open three more branches in quick succession. After approximately two years of successful retail trading, their hard work was wiped out in an instant. The Christiansborg Crossroads

Endeavour Magazine | 75

Melcom

Shooting of 1948 that ushered in Ghana’s quest for independence resulted in the loss of law and order.

Widespread looting caused them to lose everything and they became penniless overnight. Their business was not insured, and their never-givein attitude coupled with their reputation of being astute and honest businessman was all they had.

“Knocking on every door possible, they finally struck luck with one of their English suppliers who agreed to ship them goods without payment, trusting that they would honour their commitment. Sure enough, they did not disappoint; they came back stronger than before and continued to grow from strength to strength.”

to the ongoing family, but to the ease and speed of Ghanaian life.

“As society becomes more affluent,” the Group explains, “The needs and requirement standards of our esteemed and loyal customers change and grow.” This is an interesting and critical point.

Whilst some economies are slowing down, West Africa is on the move, and as the population grows statistically wealthier, their needs and expectations change. “In keeping with the Group’s continuous efforts to provide Ghana with the paramount shopping experience, we have also recognized the need to keep up with the shifts in consumer trends.”

This includes online shopping, which Melcom has now offered for some time, and was of particular importance during the pandemic.

It is easily to see a successful chain as a faceless entity, but this extremely human story of struggle and perseverance is the inspiring start of it all. In 1989, Bhagwan took what his father had created, and there, with his sons-in-law, he established the Melcom Group as it is known today, and this legacy of hard work eventually turned into a sprawling 40-store success that contributed greatly not only

Before the pandemic, Melcom had recently completed a number of impressive projects, including a new world-class warehouse in the Tema Free Zone, as well as new stores Bolga, Koforidua, Accra and Mankesim. Now on the other side of the global two-year anomaly, the Melcom Group’s attention can once again turn to the future, expanding and developing

76 | Endeavour Magazine

‘Where Ghana shops’

on not only Melcom itself but its many sibling companies: Crown Star Electronics Ltd (established 1992), Century Industries Ltd (established 2000) and Melcom Travels (established 2015).

“Melcom has continuously endeavoured to expand its customer base,” the Group explains. “The increasing number of branches, growing product range and rising market share are proof that the market strategies put into practice by the Melcom Group have been successful in reaching out to the Ghanaian people.”

As Bhagwan wrote in his memoirs, showing a love for both the Group and for the country that seems to have been with him his whole life; “It is hard to believe just how fast time has gone by since our humble beginning; it has been a long road with its fair share of ups and downs, cheers and tears. Like my father, I have adopted Ghana as my home. I am eternally grateful to the people of Ghana who have, for all the years, extended their unconditional love and hospitality.”

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Endeavour Magazine | 77

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

GREENER EACH YEAR Lamprell chevron-square-right www.lamprell.com phone-square +971 4 8039308

Lamprell

Founded in Dubai in 1976

by Steven Lamprell, this company of the same name has played an active role in the energy industry ever since. Now having operated in the sector for over 45 years, this company has provided foundational support – sometimes literally - to many a project, starting out in oil & gas but soon expanding to more forward-looking areas such as renewable energy and even the digital sector.

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perating across these three areas, the company designs and provides both assets and services for its customers, be this rig installation or robotics! Onshore or offshore, small-scale or full builds - whilst its offerings are wide-ranging, they all pull together towards a clear goal: to help Lamprell’s clients produce energy safely, effectively, and, most important for the environment, efficiently.

With sites across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Lamprell’s main operations are based out of Hamriyah, with its two next-greatest facilities in Jebel Ali and the Dubai Investments Park. These locations are all in the UAE, but through a joint partnership with Saudi Aramos, Bahri and Hyundai Heavy Industries, the company also has a presence in Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Maritime Yard. These countries are a strong and sensible place to build a base, when working within the energy sector (especially oil & gas, though not limited to this), and yet the company’s full reach extends beyond these countries, to international locations and clients.

As the company explains; “Our business model is designed to be flexible and resilient enough to be able to support this broad customer base and deliver sustainable and profitable performance over the long term.”

To begin with Lamprell’s oldest and most established area of activity, the company’s oil & gas department covers a broad range of activities: namely, engineering, procurement, and construction, including rig construction and refurbishment, and other related services.

This part of the company’s operations began back at its founding in 1976; unsurprisingly, it is where this UAE/Saudi Arabian based company began, and it is the bedrock from which its other operations, including its environmentally cleaner operations, have arisen.

Over the past 45+ years, this part of Lamprell has been involved with hundreds of projects, ranging from small to large-scale, on and offshore. This long-term presence within this sector, focused, within the Middle East, has allowed the company to set up secure supply chains and processes, thus expanding the potential of what it can achieve and minimising cost. As the company explains; “Our oil & gas strategy is focused primarily on the Middle East, the region with the lowest hydrocarbon lifting 80 | Endeavour Magazine

ANTI-CORROSION PROFESSIONALS Applied Corrosion Technology (ACT) is a highly qualified and fully certified single-source solution provider offering a wide range of services, including fabrication, corrosion control & protective coatings, to the local & international markets since 1989.

We have successfully treated and protected hundreds of onshore & offshore rigs, platforms, vessels & many other vital industrial structures & installations by consistently delivering excellence under tight deadlines & stringent quality controls.

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Technical Access Services (TAS) has earnt an enviable reputation across the UAE for providing safety leading, innovative and cost-effective access solutions. Our unrivalled asset and resource base enable us to successfully support clients from design to completion across multiple sectors Including oil and gas, Industrial, petrochemical, nuclear, marine and construction.

Established since 2006, we offer bespoke access solutions utilizing our market leading design, contract scaffold, hire and sales, skilled labor, formwork, and rope access capabilities. With strategically positioned offices and depots across the UAE we are ideally situated to respond to the needs of our clients whilst reducing our environmental impact.

Equipped to undertake any size project, we believe that working in collaboration from an early stage and utilizing our vast experience, knowledge, and technical capabilities the optimum access solution can be identified, taking into consideration safety, quality, budget, and program. Our team are ready to take care of your access requirements, allowing you to concentrate on other aspects of your project.

We Have Proudly Supported Lamprell Since 2006 On Various Successful Projects, such as 18 New Build Rigs Over 100 Rig Refurb Projects

Lamprell

costs globally. With our well-established presences in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and through accessing local capability, goods and services, we are constantly seeking to maximise our local content.”

As well as rigs, the offshore elements of Lamprell’s oil & gas work include the construction and/or maintenance of complex process modules, living quarters, wellhead decks, topsides and FPSO units.

In the meantime, its onshore operations in this area are majoritively weighted towards smaller, fast-track engineering, procurement, and construction projects for plants and terminals.

However, what we’re excited about is Lamprell’s renewables sector – an area of operations that it branched out into in 2007. Just over 30 years since it was founded, Lamprell was able to take its success thus far and re-invest it in technology that looked to the future. Whilst fossil fuels had formed its backbone, the company wasn’t afraid to look forward, try new things or give a thought to more environmental, responsible endeavours.

These operations in the renewable energy sector focus on offshore wind projects, for which they provide foundation fabrication and other support services. It has even delved into the installation of wind turbines that stand on floating platforms rather than needing foundations built.

In the company’s words, “Floating wind has the

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potential to become one of the most important new renewable energy markets and is a key part of Lamprell’s future renewables strategy.”

Lamprell’s first venture in the area of renewables was to build its first self-propelled, multi-purpose vessel. Since then, it has produced many such vessels, and its wind turbine focus began after its first contract of this kind in 2016. The contract was for 60 turbine foundation structures, commissioned

by ScottishPower Renewables’ East Anglian One project. As of 2021, the company now have an impressive 130 wind foundation structures to its name, and has achieved or secured over half a billion dollars of business in this sector. From what must have seemed like a gamble in 2007, this area of Lamprell’s business can now well and truly be said to be thriving. In time, it may overtake over the company’s oil and gas offering, as the world turns greener: already, its project slate for 2021/2022 is 50% made up of renewable projects, which saw the company awarded a Green Economy Mark from the London Stock Exchange.

Whereas its oil & gas activities are largely in the Middle East, it isn’t surprising to learn that Lamprell’s renewables work is largely in Europe, though it isn’t limited to this area. In fact, as the company continues to push in this direction, it is expanding these activities out into the USA and Asian markets. That said, last year, the company received the Middle East’s first green trade finance facility for its third wind farm jacket project.

Lamprell

As mentioned, there is also a third avenue through which Lamprell does business – the digital sector. Like renewables, this sector came later. In fact, it only started extremely recently, in 2018. The company explains; “Arising from our experience in both the renewables and oil & gas industries, Lamprell identified the need for innovative digital solutions which have the potential to enhance our business strategy, improve our efficiency and quality, and create further value for our shareholders.”

The company began by piloting some robotics projects, real-time analytics and some facial recognition technology – an impressive range of places to start out from. Moving forward, its current areas of focus are in asset integrity, engineering design, smart non-destructive testing, predictive maintenance and, again, robotics.

These developments have been worked towards in partnership with Injazat/G42 and Akselos – companies that have brought their expertise to the table as Lamprell has, once again, undertaken something new. As in 2007, the company has identified where the developments of the future lie:

green technology is now of extreme relevance, and likewise, digital is where the future of business is.

Its timing couldn’t have been better: whilst 2020 brought much of life to a halt, the pandemic saw the demand for digital solutions rise dramatically, and so, Lamprell increased its efforts. “With the global pandemic crisis accelerating the drive for improvements in digitisation, we redoubled our efforts to realise opportunities that we have identified. Our timely focus on digital solutions will also ensure we are capable of not only addressing our clients’ emerging requirements and delivering innovative solutions for the global energy industry but also opening up new revenue streams for the Group.

“Our vision is to develop new digital prospects so they can be investable, stand-alone and selfsupporting businesses based on limited capital investment. We also plan to continue to implement new digital technologies into our business to reduce our ongoing cost base, improving our overall competitiveness.”

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84 | Endeavour Magazine

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

POWERING KENYA Lake Turkana chevron-square-right ltwp.co.ke phone-square +254 20 221 3493

Lake Turkana

The Lake Turkana Wind Power project was an innovative undertaking by the Kenyan government – the single largest investment in the country’s history. As the long proposed project is finally ready to go into commission, we took a look to see how this sustainable project plans to positively impact he country and its people.

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ocated in the Loiyangalani District, Marsabit County, the Lake Turkana Wind Power project currently stands at 365 wind turbines (one for every day of the year). Each of these 365 turbines has a capacity of 850kW – that’s over 300,000 kW in total. This power is then stored at a high voltage substation that, in turn, delivers the power to the Kenyan National Grid. In total, the farm currently provides around 17% of the country’s capacity – that’s a sizable portion to have provided from such a clean and sustainable source, and shows the impact for good that this one project is able to have on a country’s power. As well as being sustainable, the farm’s supply of power is reliable, and comes through at a low cost, which passes its advantages on to the country at large. Directly, it is sold to the Kenyan Power & Lighting Company Ltd at a fixed price, but these savings are able to be passed onwards to the company’s clients, aka the Kenyan people.

The impressive project is the single largest investment in Kenyan history. This vast undertaking covers 40,000 acres, out of which less than 87.5 are used for the company’s facilities. The rest, of course, is used for the ranging farm. This land is also kept open to the public, which allows the acres to still be used by the local nomadic population – an essential consideration for any project cover large areas of land in Kenya. The nomadic peoples in the area are able to use the project’s land to settle on, graze their livestock and access water. Because of this, only the station’s facilities themselves are fenced off, but the rest of the land is open and free to access.

The land itself, a 12 hour drive from Nairobi, ranges from the foot slopes of Mt Kulal to the south-eastern end of Lake Turkana. It was an area selected for its strong yet predictable wind streams between the lake and the desert; as the temperature between these two locations is in stark contrast, this produces the strong wind that the project seeks to harness.

A huge investment by the Kenyan government, the Lake Turkana Wind Power project was still not a government initiative alone: the farm was co-developed by KP&P Africa B.V and Aldwych International, who first partnered up on the project in 2006 following lengthy discussions the previous year. It has also received additional investment and 88 | Endeavour Magazine

Lake Turkana

support from the Investment Fund for Developing Countries, Vestas Eastern Africa Limited, Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd, KLP Norfund Investments AS and Sandpiper. In 2017, the last of the turbines were finally in place, and in 2018, the farm went into operation, after 13 years of planning.

As well as being a boon to the country because of its sustainable, reliable and affordable energy, the Lake Turkana Wind Power project has also set out as it means to continue by making sure that the community benefits directly from its existence. Beyond letting the locals use its land, it has also created initiatives such as the Winds of Change Foundation (WoC), which the project funds in order for it to help improve livelihoods in the area. It is expected that, over the twenty year projected life of the project, WoC will contribute around €10 million to the area.

Some of the Winds of Change Foundation’s areas of focus include enhancing employability through work with education, enhancing health services and health education, and improving access to water. For example, since 2015, WoC has built various school facilities, including a laboratory at Nyiro Girls Secondary School and Korole Boys Secondary School, two classrooms at the new Loiyangalani Youth Polytechnic, an extension to the facilities of Sarima Primary School, and a dormitory at Nyiro 90 | Endeavour Magazine

Boys Secondary School, It have also installed a solar system at Mt. Kulal Girls Secondary School, provided desks, books and pens to 25 primary schools in Laisamis Constituency; and arranged educational school trips to the wind farm and other parts of Kenya.

As for its contributions to health facilities, WoC saw the problems present in the area around the wind farms. As a broad area with a scattered population and limited resources, access to reliable healthcare was poor. WoC has physically improved the situation with the construction of new healthcare facilities, as well as reaching out to charities and organisations who can get involved. It has also helped to fix up hospitals and dispensaries with game-changing resources such as solar panels, vaccine freezers and essential furniture include toilets and beds.

Finally, due to its location near to desert land, the area around the Lake Turkana Wind Power project has an issue with access to water. Prompted by this, WoC has put water points in Arge, Laga el Fereji, Gatab, Ntil, Lonjorin, Larachi, Sarima, Illaut and Olturot, someone of which have helped bring water to settlements of thousands. The company has also built water troughs to help provide water for essential livestock that form a backbone of many Kenyan’s lives, and innovatively, in Sarima Village it has also installed a solar powered reverse osmosis system, which allows the people of the village to access clean drinking water for the first time.

Powering Kenya

As the Foundation says itself; “WoC works in partnership with the county government, local leaders, NGO’s, CBO’s and government departments in implementing negotiated activities to ensure optimal stakeholder engagement, participation and ownership.

WoC aims to catalyse positive sustainable development to enhance livelihoods in the areas surrounding the wind farm. It is anticipated that the planned social investment activities will enable LTWP and its project partners; Vestas, Siemens, SECO and Civicon to become trusted partners in development with the local community around the wind farm and the larger Laisamis constituency.”

All of these projects are focusing in the Laisamis constituency in Marsabit County. These are all exciting projects, but just as exciting is the Lake Turkana Wind Power project itself; a long time in the making, now that this vast farm is up and running, it is bound to make a real difference to Kenya, both in the short term, and also hopefully in the long-term of the country’s approach to its power needs.

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