TSX-V-listed Lake Victoria Gold says Charl Coetzee of Sutton Consulting International has mobilised to the company’s fully permitted Imwelo gold project, in north-western Tanzania, as project manager.

The company says Coetzee is now on site supporting the approved Tanzania-led engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) framework, under which City Engineering Company (CECL) serves as primary EPCM contractor and commercial lead, with Sutton providing international technical support.

Coetzee has about 30 years of experience in the construction, commissioning, maintenance and operation of gold and minerals processing plants across Africa, including in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Guinea and South Africa.

Lake Victoria Gold notes that his background includes a record of delivering processing plant installations on schedule and on budget, as well as hands-on experience in commissioning support, operating readiness, maintenance systems and local workforce development.

The company describes Coetzee’s mobilisation to Imwelo as an important practical step in advancing the project from planning and engineering toward construction readiness.

Coetzee’s mandate covers field coordination, construction sequencing, contractor and supplier interfaces and ensuring incoming infrastructure and activity are organised in a disciplined, practical and safety-conscious manner.

Near-term workstreams at Imwelo include site clearing, access road upgrades and construction utility installation; Phase 1 modular camp preparation and infrastructure layout; and procurement support and contractor interface planning.

“Following Mining Commission approval of our EPCM structure, having Charl now on site is another important step in turning planning into execution at Imwelo,” says Lake Victoria Gold president and CEO Marc Cernovitch.

“Charl has spent his career building, commissioning and operating processing plants across Africa, and that practical experience is exactly what we want on the ground as we advance site readiness, infrastructure planning and contractor coordination,” he comments, adding that Coetzee’s record of delivering plant installations on schedule and on budget strengthens Lake Victoria Gold’s execution capability at an important stage for the company.

“We are advancing Imwelo in a disciplined and compliant manner, with Tanzanian leadership through CECL, international technical support through Sutton and experienced project management now established at site.

“This is the type of steady, practical progress required as we move Imwelo toward construction readiness.”