Metago, a leading South African firm providing environmental consultancy services to the mining industry throughout sub-Saharan Africa and Australia, has joined SLR an international environmental consultancy based in the UK. The merger will enable Metago, which has offices in South Africa (Johannesburg and Pretoria), Namibia (Swakopmund) and Western Australia (Perth), to extend its specialist consultancy services throughout SLR’s global network.
Metago, founded in 1994, is an employee owned company and has 63 staff. It consults on all phases of mine life, with a particular specialism in environmental impact assessment, mine waste and water management assessment and design. Working across virtually all commodities Metago is particularly active in gold, platinum, coal, chrome, iron ore and uranium sectors with clients including Xstrata, Swakop Uranium, Lonmin and Goldfields.
Strengthening demand for its environmental services in recent years has come from major mining firms seeking to develop operations in more environmentally challenging and remote locations and from financial institutions seeking to uphold the Equator Principles when investing in the developing world.
Current projects for the firm include the Rossing and Langer Heinrich uranium mines located in Namibia which account for 12% of the world’s uranium production. Demand for uranium is expected to increase over the next decade as a new generation of nuclear power stations come into development in Europe, North America and China.
Director, Alistair James said: “This is a great opportunity for Metago as our technical expertise compliments that of SLR. In joining SLR we become a leading consultancy in the international mining sector and together we will be able to benefit from accelerated growth from resource-based economies.”
David Richards, Chief Executive of SLR, said: “Metago’s strong reputation provides a great platform for SLR to extend our offering in sub-Saharan Africa as well as considerably strengthening our Western Australian operations.”
SLR has almost 900 employees working from 63 offices in Europe, North America, Australasia and Africa. It provides global advice and support on a wide range of strategic and site-specific issues to a diverse and growing base of business, regulatory and governmental clients.
Based near Oxford in the UK, SLR is one of a very small number of truly international specialist environmental consultancies. Key areas of SLR’s business include the energy and mining sector where it is involved with the oil and gas industry as well as renewable power including wind, energy from waste, hydropower and biomass. It also advises mining companies and funding organisations throughout the world.
Metago has 63 employees and is a specialist mine waste, water management and environmental impact/permitting consultancy working throughout sub-Saharan Africa and Australia. SLR is an international environmental consultancy, based near Oxford in the UK, with almost 900 employees working from 63 offices in Europe, North America, Australasia, and Africa. It provides global advice and support on a wide range of strategic and site-specific issues to a diverse and growing base of business, regulatory and governmental clients.
share and option holders, and also has the backing of 3i as a minority shareholder.
The Equator Principles (EPs) are a voluntary set of standards for determining, assessing and managing financial and environmental risk in project financing.