The $11 Billion Trans-Kalahari Railway (TKR) on Course
Botswana and Namibia were to sign a bilateral agreement for the development of the Trans-Kalahari Railway deal on April 20, 2013. This was not to be as the signing was postponed after the Namibia requested for more time to finalize the technical issues involved.
The two South African countries had in 2009 signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the TKR but it is not enough to pave way for the commencement of the project. The bilateral agreement is required for corporation between the two countries and to pave way for the appointment of transaction consultants to lead the mega project.
The proposed TKR is meant to link Botswana’s Mmamabula coalfields with the Walvis Bay Port in Namibia. The 1 500 km railway line is expected to boost trade in Botswana and turn it into a regional trade hub.
According to Botswana’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, the railway project would contribute to economic development of the country by means of promoting regional trade and attracting direct investment from foreign investors.
The TKR route will run parallel to the Trans-Kalahari Highway (TKH) which will facilitate faster and more efficient transportation of goods between the two countries.
Work on Ethiopia mega-dam proceeding 24/7
Construction work is proceeding around the clock on Ethiopia's multibillion-dollar Grand Renaissance Dam project in hopes of completing the mega-project on schedule, an Ethiopian official said Wednesday.
"We're proceeding as per the construction timeline," Simegnew Bekele, the project's chief engineer, told foreign reporters visiting the construction site.
Construction of Ethiopia-Kenya road in progress
An Ethiopian official said on Saturday that the construction of an asphalt road linking Ethiopia to Kenya was going on.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Samson Wondimu, communication director at the Ethiopian Roads Authority said that the 499km asphalt concrete road stretches through southern Ethiopia to Kenya.
He said the Addis Ababa-Nairobi-Mombasa road is part of the Cape Town- Egypt highway, which will traverse nine African countries including Ethiopia.
"Kenya constructs part of the stated road linking Mombasa with the Ethiopian border and Ethiopia on its part constructs the road from the border to its capital, Addis Ababa," Wondimu said.
Nigeria’s Unicem Invests $510m In New Cement Line
United Cement Company of Nigeria Limted (UNICEM), the country’s third largest cement manufacturer, has kicked off investment to develop a 2.5 million metric tons cement line, as it aims to double its existing 5 million tons capacity by 2016.
Construction of the cement line, which is estimated to cost N84 billion ($510.1 million), has already been awarded to Sinoma Group, a Chinese firm known globally for handling cement line projects.
With economic growth of over 6 percent driving roll out of infrastructural projects, demand for building materials, particularly cement, has increased.
