INZAG Germany GmbH is a construction company headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany that realises infrastructure projects on the African continent. These include construction of an important stretch of the Eastern Corridor Road in Ghana, a project that poses particular challenges.
INZAG realises infrastructure projects on the African continent. “Angola and Ghana are extremely interesting locations, due to their considerable economic potential. Both countries are rich in raw material deposits, politically stable and welcome investments in infrastructure and bilateral cooperation agreements”, says Achim Becker, CEO of INZAG.
This includes the construction of an important stretch of the Eastern Corridor Road in Ghana, a significant reference project for the construction company. The road connects the busy harbour in Tema and Accra, the nearby capital city, with hinterland regions and neighbouring countries to the north. In addition to strengthening Ghana’s position as a logistical hub, the burgeoning economy also profits from the sustainable expansion of infrastructure.
Sharing technological and economic progress.
When it comes to this project, the German construction enterprise has a decided advantage. “We can look back at a long company tradition of many years in Africa and are able to draw on expertise to be found throughout our enterprise”. Export credit financing enables INZAG to reduce the economic risks associated with overseas construction projects. This financing envisages the majority of machinery and materials coming from Germany.
An opportunity to share technological and economic progress can be exploited as a result. It is important for INZAG that the machinery used is robust and requires low maintenance to minimise downtimes. “Accordingly, INZAG prefers state-of-the-art vehicles and machinery”, says Benjamin Knell, the INZAG Supply Chain Director.
Heavy-duty dumpers from MEILLER have been used exclusively since 2019. These consist of 26 H336 series and a further 24 H436 series rear tippers. With a nominal load of 36 tonnes, the 3 and 4-axle vehicles are designed for the toughest assignments. The angular bodies with their jet side walls are particularly stable and durable, including under harsh operating conditions. MEILLER hydraulics are also particularly suitable for use in this hot country, proving their effectiveness through particularly low maintenance requirements. Benjamin Knell points out a further important reason for deciding in favour of this equipment: “Good customer support based on long-term cooperation”.
Quality is, consequently, decisive, although practical reasons mean that what is used is limited to basic equipment. The procurement of spare parts and the availability of service specialists involves greater time and cost factors on the African continent than those encountered in Europe. Equally, no savings are made when it comes to the safety of employees. “We have a very efficient safety management system and equip our machinery with the latest safety technology”.
Promoting local development in the construction industry
The MEILLER tippers deliver all the materials required for two and three-lane development of the Eastern Corridor Road with its roundabouts, traffic intersections and bridges, including hot asphalt.
The infrastructure for construction measures is part of the project. In order to provide people, machinery and material for on-site deployment, support bases need to be provided along the road, some with offices, accommodation, stores and machinery. The road surface is created in our own asphalt mixers. In addition to the 40 experts dispatched to Africa, over 900 local workers are employed during the peak phase of the project.
What is mainly sought is experience and qualifications in the handling of state-of-the-art modern machinery. This also applies to the maintenance of MEILLER tippers by local technicians. “We want to use this project as a training site”, says Achim Becker. “This would enable us to make a sustainable contribution to the training of specialists, including through cooperation with technical and public education institutes”.
Although the construction sector in Ghana is traditionally dominated by male workers, INZAG construction projects also see women steering tippers. These female drivers were trained in a special program that was supported by the Delegation of German Industry & Commerce in Ghana, GIZ Ghana and INZAG in the context of the special “Decent Work for a Just Transition” initiative. Under the brand “Invest for Jobs”, this special initiative is implemented by players such as the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Safe roadways facilitate trade and enhance the quality of life
INZAG realises road construction projects in Ghana of a high quality standard comparable to those required in Europe. Whereas previous traffic routes were frequently overburdened, the development of roads makes them safer and more efficient. The new road reduces travel times and facilitates regional trade. Improvement of the infrastructure promotes the holistic development of this emerging country on the African continent.
The entire route is 700 km long and connects the country’s busiest seaport in Tema with the hinterland and the landlocked country of Burkina Faso to the north. In addition, the project also connects to the Transafrican Corridor in the area of the capital city, Accra, which runs in an east-west direction from Lagos in Nigeria to Abidjan on the Ivory Coast.
The Eastern Corridor Road also aims to network different modes of transport such as the Eastern Railways line between Tema and the centrally located city of Kumasi or provide an access route to the inland waterway over Lake Volta.