Lake Victoria Gold has begun phase one earthworks at its fully permitted Imwelo Gold Project in Tanzania, with work on the site camp nearing completion.

The company reported progress on access road improvements and preparations at the plant-site footprint as part of its initial on-site activities.

The current project phase is focused on upgrading existing roads for the reliable transport of heavy equipment and project materials.

Site works also include clearing, grubbing, stripping and stockpiling topsoil, developing and compacting the plant pad, building sound berms and excavating trenches for infrastructure.

An earth-moving fleet has been mobilised to carry out these assignments, with coordination for road and earthworks materials arranged with Tanzanian authorities.

According to the company, the construction camp is nearly complete, with water storage and power generation systems installed.

Plumbing has been finished, electrical work is ongoing and accommodation areas are being fitted out.

The camp is designed to transition from accommodating the construction workforce to supporting permanent operations to avoid duplicated investment.

Project delivery is being managed under an engineering, procurement and construction management structure led by Tanzanian-owned City Engineering Company.

Sutton Consulting International is providing international technical support and Lake Victoria Gold’s on-site project team is handling daily coordination.

The company stated that this model allows for local content compliance, local execution leadership and international technical involvement to further in-country project delivery capacity.

Upcoming activities at the Imwelo site include completing and commissioning the camp, continuing the access road and plant pad works, finishing topsoil management and berm construction, and advancing detailed engineering, procurement and construction planning.

Lake Victoria Gold president and CEO Marc Cernovitch said: “Imwelo is moving beyond planning and mobilisation into visible, sequenced site execution.

“We are establishing the infrastructure in the order the project requires, while ensuring that early investments, including the camp, continue to serve Imwelo through construction and into operations.

“This practical, capital-conscious and Tanzanian-led approach is the model we intend to carry through the next stages of project development.”