Australia’s Maysen & Borowski Claymont Joint Venture (MBCJV) and Phoenix Material and Constructing have secured approval from the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) for the construction of $1.9bn oil refinery and pipeline project.

The Bwana Mkubwa oil refinery and the 1,800km pipeline will be built at the Sub-Sahara Gemstone (SGE) Exchange Industrial Park in Ndola, Copperbelt province.

SGE Industrial Park chairman Phesto Musonda was quoted by Lusaka Times? as saying that the refinery is expected to create 18,000 jobs during construction phase, and 5,000 jobs upon commissioning in 2016.

Designed to process around five million tons a year, the refinery will receive crude oil through a new pipeline, which is planned to be developed from Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, alongside 1,800km Tazama pipeline.

The refinery will export refined oil products to Congo and Tanzania.

The project consortium is in talks with potential partners, to launch a special purpose vehicle, to accelerate the project, and plans to undertake a bankable feasibility study.