Malabo Cliffs

The northern part of the island of Bioko, the Punta Cristina, is separated from the sea by steep cliffs. These cliffs, on the far-flung volcanic island off the west coast of Africa, in Equatorial Guinea, are extremely prone to erosion and collapse. To ward off the threat of potentially devastating landslides and protect the hotels and houses perched on the cliffs, BESIX was asked to reinforce the precipice with anchored retaining walls, supported by ample quantities of backfill.

BESIX, a mainstay in Equatorial Guinea

BESIX went straight to work: designing a tailor-made L-shaped retaining wall, carefully excavating the site, and pouring and nailing/anchoring in place the necessary reinforcements. Initially, the BESIX teams had 21 months to complete the job. They did it in less than 15, once more demonstrating why the company has been a fixture in the local construction business for more than 10 years. The success of this latest project has encouraged BESIX to diversify its portfolio in Equatorial Guinea and bolster its reputation as the go-to contractor for prestige projects.

It was the professionalism and transparency of both contractor and consultant that led to the strong collaboration between our team and BESIX. The degree of perfection achieved in the cliff protection works is astonishing. To the client’s great satisfaction, the project was delivered six months ahead of schedule.

Simone Frioni
General Manager, TEAM Equatorial Guinea SA

We managed to convey the BESIX mentality to our workers when it comes to safety and were able to showcase the benefits of hiring local labor. Keen to contribute to the project, they allowed us to rely less heavily on workers brought in from overseas. We are really proud of our team, which showed real commitment, and our efforts were also recognized by the client.

Marco Berrios
Construction Manager at BESIX

Safety and community

The project’s QHSE record is outstanding: after several audits and safety training sessions (in collaboration with the Forhom Institute), and more than 300,000 hours on the job, the team recorded zero accidents. In keeping with its commitments and corporate policy, BESIX also made a point of hiring as many local workers and staff as possible. Management organized specialized training and coaching programs to improve the expertise of the local crews and build up their confidence: knowledge and skills that will last them a lifetime.

Project details

Project name

Malabo Cliffs

Malabo Cliffs

Cradling the Punta Cristina cliffs

BESIX, a mainstay in Equatorial Guinea

Safety and community

Project details

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