Mbalam
Encyclopedia
Mbalam is a place in Cameroon
near the southern border with Gabon
border where there are significant deposits of iron ore. The mining company is Sundance Resources Limited
.
software. The railway will start at an elevation of about 650m at the mine, proceed along a fairly level alignment for 350km, drops steeply for 100 km down to the coastal plain, then traverses that plain for 50 km to the port. The gradients generally favour loaded trains.
In September 2010, Sundance Resources signed a memorandum of understanding with CRCC China-Africa Construction Ltd, which outlined construction plans for a 490 km railway linking the planned iron ore mines to a proposed port near Lolabé
. Another Chinese company, China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd
(CHEC), will build the port.
A two stage development of a mine, railway and port for the cross border iron ore deposits in Cameroon
and Congo
is estimated to cost $US7.7b.
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
near the southern border with Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
border where there are significant deposits of iron ore. The mining company is Sundance Resources Limited
Sundance Resources Limited
Sundance Resources Limited is an Australian mining company, based in Perth, Western Australia, whose main assets are iron ore leases in Cameroon near Mbalam, and across the border in the Republic of Congo....
.
Railway
A 490 km railway connection to a deepwater port is required to exploit these ore deposits efficiently. Several routes were planned using QuantmQuantm
Quantm is a software package that is used to optimise the routes of roads and railways. This was hitherto a tedious and laborious task as huge amounts of data are involved and the number of options is large as well...
software. The railway will start at an elevation of about 650m at the mine, proceed along a fairly level alignment for 350km, drops steeply for 100 km down to the coastal plain, then traverses that plain for 50 km to the port. The gradients generally favour loaded trains.
In September 2010, Sundance Resources signed a memorandum of understanding with CRCC China-Africa Construction Ltd, which outlined construction plans for a 490 km railway linking the planned iron ore mines to a proposed port near Lolabé
Lolabé
Lolabé is a small coastal town in Cameroon. It lies on the Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Kribi and the border with Equatorial Guinea.- Port :...
. Another Chinese company, China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd
China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd
China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd or CHEC is an engineering contractor which provides infrastructure construction, such as marine engineering, dredging and reclamation, road and bridge, railways, airports and plant construction...
(CHEC), will build the port.
A two stage development of a mine, railway and port for the cross border iron ore deposits in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
is estimated to cost $US7.7b.