We are excited to announce that we will be operating the Albatros Energy hydrocarbon analysis laboratory in Kayes, Mali, starting November 2021.
SGS will be operating the newly established laboratory, in collaboration with Albatros Energy Mali, which is running the first independent power project supplying the national grid in Mali with reliable energy.
Testing fuels is vital to guaranteeing the safety of the power station, as any deviations can have a significant impact on the plant and lead to severe engine damage.
Until now, Albatros Energy Mali has had to send fuel samples for quality and compliance testing outside the African continent. The construction of this 340 m2 laboratory is a way to manage cost and reduce turnaround times. This pioneering project has been financed through Albatros Energy Mali SA’s own resources and a technical assistance grant from the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) through its associated company, the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF). The total cost of this investment amounts to EUR 1 million.
The sampling, testing and quality certification of heavy and light fuels entering the thermal plant facility will be handled by two full-time SGS employees, who will help confirm that specifications are met.
“We’re pleased to establish a long-term partnership with SGS,” says Mr. Mamadou Sow, Managing Director of Albatros Energy Mali. “This agreement will be mutually beneficial to both parties, and more importantly, it will ensure we can deliver electricity to Mali’s citizens and companies more easily.”
The new lab will not only allow fast turnaround times for the Albatros power project, but will also offer quality and compliance testing of fuels for West African mining companies and importers of petroleum products.
The SGS team will deliver a wide range of tests for heavy fuels and diesel fuels, including:
- Density at 15°C
- Viscosity at 50°C, 80°C and 100°C
- Analysis of metals including sodium, calcium, zinc, sulfur, aluminum, silicon, iron, nickel, magnesium, and potassium (IP 501)
- Separability number, compatibility, micro carbon residue (MCR) testing, total sediment potential, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
- CCAI (ignition quality), pour point, and flash point testing
- Elemental analysis (CH), and heat combustion
“We’re excited to meet the needs of this fast-growing production region,” says Firmin Bado, Managing Director at SGS in Mali and Burkina Faso. “Thanks to the new lab, Albatros and other players will now be able to test the quality of the fuel used locally, without the need to send their samples outside the continent.”
This agreement will strengthen SGS’s network of laboratories in Africa, and the new laboratory will be the first commercial hydrocarbon analysis laboratory in Mali able to test samples from different organizations.
For more information, please contact:
Aurélia Resines
Global Head of Marketing
SGS
t: +41 22 739 91 11
Awa Touré
Digital Marketing Manager
Albatros Energy Mali
t: +223 20 21 22 92
About Albatros Energy Mali SA
Albatros Energy Mali SA (www.aem-sa.com) has been operating a 90-MW thermal power plant (BOOT) since November 1, 2018 in Kayes, western Mali. It is the first independent power project in western Africa to supply the national grid. It provides a source of reliable energy to offer the citizens of Mali easy access to electricity and to allow industries to develop. The energy is sold to the Malian national company Énergie du Mali (EDM) under an electricity purchase contract.
About SGS
We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 93,000 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.