Sierra Leone Ship loading facility
The Pepel Transhipment Facility Upgrade and Rebirth project exemplifies innovation, precision, and resilience in delivering industrial infrastructure solutions under extreme constraints. Tasked with retrofitting a long-abandoned transshipment facility in Sierra Leone, Qfactor overcame logistical, structural, and operational challenges to deliver a fully functional system within record time and under budget.
| Project Name | Pepel Transhipment Facility Upgrade and Rebirth |
| Client Company | London Mining Ltd |
| Project Type | Capital Project – Industrial Process |
| Project Value | $22m |
| Project Start AND PROJECT FINISH | 2009 – 2010 |
| Strategic Objective | To rehabilitate and retrofit an abandoned transshipment facility, enabling it to resume iron ore export operations and kick-start Sierra Leone’s iron ore industry. |
| The Challenge / Need | The facility had been non-operational for 25 years due to the Civil War, with no maintenance. The client required a rapid retrofit within an ambitious nine-month timeframe, 4,000 km from Qfactor’s operational base, while meeting stringent quality, safety, and operational metrics. |
| Our Approach | – Conducted a Structural, Mechanical, and Electrical (SME) assessment of the facility. – Developed a comprehensive project execution plan tailored to site-specific design criteria. – Led custom design, fabrication, erection, and commissioning phases. – Collaborated with specialist engineers and teams for accelerated delivery. |
| Solution & Key Deliverables | – Structural, Mechanical, and Electrical upgrades. – Retrofit and commissioning of transshipment facility. – Accelerated execution timeline (first ore shipped within 26 days). – Delivered project under budget by 3% while meeting all quality metrics on the first attempt. |
| Risks and Challenges | – Remote project site located 4,000 km from Johannesburg. – Facility remained non-functional and unmaintained for 25 years. – Tight nine-month project timeframe. – Logistical complexities with international procurement and mobilization of skilled labor. |
| Result / Outcome | – Facility operational within 26 days of site mobilization. – First shipment of hematite iron ore successfully delivered to a European buyer. – Project delivered under budget and met quality standards on the first attempt. |
| Our Value-Added Differentiator | – Expertise in remote, high-risk industrial retrofitting projects. – Agile project management ensuring accelerated timelines and budget control. – Collaborative approach integrating multi-disciplinary teams. – Delivered operational readiness with zero compromise on safety and quality. |
