SLR acquires fifth international company in 20 months
Release date: 29th November 2011
Leading international environmental firm SLR Consulting continues to expand the services it offers in southern Africa with the acquisition of Bittner Water Consult CC (BIWAC), a groundwater consulting firm based in Namibia.
The deal is SLR's fifth acquisition in 20 months and its third in southern Africa in the last year, following the purchase of environmental consultancy Metago and engineering firm GreenEng.
BIWAC, which has an office in Windhoek, Namibia's capital, specialises in the sustainable development, protection and management of ground and surface water resources for a range of clients. These include private firms, multi-national mining and manufacturing companies as well as local and state government bodies.
Recent projects include the groundwater modelling of the Omitiomire Copper Mine area for Craton Mining Exploration, specialist groundwater input for the EIA to support the developing Otjikoto Gold Mine near Otjiwarongo for AuryxGold, groundwater monitoring and modelling for Langer Heinrich Uranium and groundwater pollution control for the City of Windhoek.
Other recent projects include groundwater monitoring for the emerging Marenica Uranium Mine in the Namib Desert and the development of a regional geohydrological model of the Swakop River catchment as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the 'Uranium Rush' in the Erongo Region. This was implemented and sponsored by the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the German Geological Survey (BGR).
SLR UK Director Neil Penhall, said: "SLR has world class capabilities in both mining and southern Africa and we work for a whole range of both national and international clients. The acquisition of BIWAC is in line with our continued strategy to grow our environmental consultancy footprint and especially to capitalise on the opportunity for growth in the African mining sector."