WA Kaolin begins stage one building work at Wickepin Kaolin Project

WA Kaolin Ltd (ASX:WAK) has begun stage one building work at its wholly-owned Wickepin Kaolin Project, 220 kilometres southeast of Perth, Western Australia. Australian steel frame construction company AUSPAN has been contracted to carry out the Stage 1 Building Structural Design and Construction. AUSPAN has mobilised to site to begin its work program with a team of around 20 ramping up over coming weeks. The concrete batching plant was delivered to site on January 6 and work has started on the footings and part of the slab being laid ahead of the plant build. On-track for plant build Chief executive officer Andrew Sorensen said: “Our 2021 work program has already commenced in earnest with the arrival of the crew and equipment to proceed with the initial building works of the kaolin production plant. “At this point, we are on track to commence the build in February and will provide regular updates to the market as we proceed.” The project is timely, as kaolin contracts and orders continue to grow and the Kwinana production facility is sold out on a two-shift 5-day basis. Structural steel arriving onsite at Wickepin. “Ramping up in February” AUSPAN general manager Ben Richardson said: “Mobilisation is well under way and construction on site is ramping up following the Christmas break. “Footings are almost complete and we will be ramping up to a construction team of approximately 25 by early February. “It is exciting to be working with WA Kaolin on this world-leading kaolin processing plant. “With approximately 100 tonnes of structural steel already delivered to site, the landscape is about to change with the commencement of structural steel installation.”