Almar Kenya built an office block for Internet Solutions (now under the Dimension Data umbrella) using flat pack containers, to cater to their corporate client who needed business recovery work stations available 24/7, 365 days of the year, in case of a major disruption to the business environment.

The container office build involved 23 flat packs stacked in two layers and included an open plan office space, reception area, meeting room, private office space, ablutions and a small kitchenette.

The Almar team in Kenya started placing containers on site to create these flat pack offices in late December 2019 and completed the build by mid-February 2020.

Great feedback from the customer was received…

“Thanks for your cooperation and we also look forward to working with you again in the future. We are speaking highly of your services in the market, and if you need to use us as a reference please don’t hesitate.” – Richard Hechle, IS.

Location:

Eldoret Kenya

Solution:

Rental of Accommodation Container Camp for Project Staff

Customer:

Grupotec

Grupotec was awarded the tender to build the largest solar plant in Africa. The 100MW project is situated in a remote location in Western Kenya, requiring all construction, engineering and management staff to be accommodated on site.

With deadlines for the project being very tight it was critical for Groupotec to have their team safely and quickly accommodated on site to allow them to start construction as soon as possible.

The camp, including a mixture of accommodation units, ablutions, kitchens, dinning rooms and boardroom facilities were deployed and installed in under 4 weeks. One of the critical components for us being able to deliver so swiftly was that we were able to deploy a mixture of ex stock accommodation container and ablution container units, as well as flatpack container modules which are able to be rapidly assembled on site.

We are also very proud that our site mobilisation team assembled and installed the camp safely, with ZERO loss of hours during the project.

For more information on the Grupotec project, you can view the project details here:
Biggest Solar Plant In Africa

The recent devastation that was seen when Cyclone Idai hit the coast of Mozambique and took that momentum all the way into Malawi and Zimbabwe leaving a trail of destruction was well covered by the media. As so often happens, the hysteria and panic attract large scale interest, but when it’s not close to home, the interest dies off very rapidly from both a media and practical support perspective.

The real challenge, however, is that the actual implications on the ground seem to often work the other way around. There is no doubt that the devastation caused by the event was widespread and extremely destructive, however, the consequences on the ground now continue to get worse for those left behind.

Many of the worst-hit regions are rural areas, densely populated with subsistence farmers who have lost their livelihoods. With much of the infrastructure wiped away, it has become impossible for them to get access to food and fresh water and the situation becomes more desperate with each passing day.

As a company without a footprint in Mozambique, it is difficult for us to assist practically. However, we are doing what we can and are trying to support those who are making a difference with practical support on the ground. We have donated 3 containers to date for the distribution of food and basic supplies and have donated $2,000 for clean up operations being carried out by the below two companies.

J&J Transport Ltd
LBH Mozambique

The company names have links to their support operations and we would like to implore you to have a look at what they are doing on the ground and support them in their efforts.

Thank you to J&J Transport and LBH Mozambique for your efforts in improving the lives of those affected by Cyclone Idai.

Almar Kenya has been commissioned to create four bespoke functional gym units from standard 20-foot dry containers for anti-poaching rangers to use. Three will be located in wildlife conservancies in Kenya, while the fourth is to be transported to Tanzania, and all four will provide an exciting opportunity for anti-poaching rangers to keep fit in the field.

The project was initiated by the Save the Rhino charity and 51 Degrees Ltd, a Kenyan company that trains rapid-response anti-poaching units across East Africa in helicopter procedures, reactive operations, area searches, and medical skills.

The Converted Containers

The design of the converted containers’ functional gym equipment will ensure that the rangers are able to improve their strength and overall fitness while in remote locations. The equipment in each unit consists of a series of bolted frames with pull-up bars, as well as removable dead-weight brackets and a larger frame for rope climbing at one end.

One of the converted containers has already been set up in the main rangers’ camp at Borana Conservancy in Laikipia County, Kenya. Two more are destined for Ol Jogi and Lewa Conservancies in the same region. A fourth will soon be heading for Tanzania where it will be utilized by the Singita Grumeti Fund’s team of rangers.

Conservancies Fighting Poaching

During the past four decades, Kenyan organisations and associations have been doing everything possible to save the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) from extinction. In 1970 there were 20,000 rhinos in the country, but as a result of poaching, this number fell to less than 280 in the 1980s. One of the first initiatives was the formation of the Association of Private Rhino Sanctuaries in Laikipia that was mandated by the Kenya Wildlife Service to represent the interests of those in the private sector who were working towards conservation of rhinos.

After the dramatic decrease in the numbers of rhinos by the 1980s, Kenya was hit by another surge in rhino and elephant poaching in 2012 and 2013, that led to the loss of more of these animals than at any time during the past 20 years. As a result, a new wildlife law was introduced allowing the courts to impose life imprisonment for convicted poachers. But, while poaching stats dropped, the killing continued, and earlier this year it was reported that convicted poachers in Kenya could face the death penalty.

The Kenyan authorities have also introduced a high-tech anti-poaching technique that involves sniffer dogs trained to identify air samples of rhino horn and ivory. These dogs are also used to find stolen livestock, property, and even children.

The Borana Conservancy is one of the newest conservancies for rhinos and since black rhinos were reintroduced to the area in 2013, it has been proven to be one of the most successful. It is relatively close to the Ol Jogi Conservancies as well as Ol Pejeta and the Solio Game Reserve, but Lewa is its closest neighbour.

Borana and the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy work closely together with additional combined efforts from Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kenya Police. While a primary focus is on fighting the threat of poaching and protecting the wildlife in the local conservancies, they also assist when there is road banditry, cattle rustling, and even inter-tribal conflict.

They report that there has been no poaching of rhino in the Lewa-Borana area in the past five years and that the numbers of illegally killed elephants have decreased significantly during the same period of time.

The Singita Grumeti Fund carries out community development and wildlife conservation in the western corridor of Tanzania’s legendary Serengeti ecosystem. An area that experienced rampant poaching and uncontrolled poaching less than two decades ago, the Fund is responsible for one of Eastern Africa’s greatest conservation success stories.

The Almar Commitment

“Not only is Almar extremely grateful to have worked on this exciting and creative product, we are also proud to help such esteemed clients with their efforts in ensuring the preservation and security of Africa’s most precious wildlife.”

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A beautifully created shared office space right in the heart of Nairobi, Kenya, Ikigai has attracted people from a cross-section of industries who value interaction and the possibility of collaboration with others but want to work in a highly professional environment. Based on a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being," Ikigai is such a popular office venue, it has been expanded with converted mobile containers to meet the demand.

About Ikigai and its Converted Shipping Containers

Founded by two passionate entrepreneurs, Wachuka and Nyambura, who believe in the collective greatness of the community, Ikigai is located on a beautiful property that boasts a huge, rambling, old house and lush green gardens. They lease the property and are bound to keep the house in its original form. They may not build any permanent structures on the site, which is why they have opted to expand using mobile containers that may be relocated later if need be.

Rather than renting out rooms, they offer different types of membership that cater to the varied needs of individuals looking for reliable but flexible workspace. For instance:

• Private membership that offers a range of secure offices in the house, in adjacent studios, and in lovely converted shipping containers.
• Communal full membership that offers access to workspace but not private offices.
• Flexible membership that offers up to 10 days access per month for those who need more professional facilities from time to time.
• Meetup membership that provides access to boardrooms and other meeting rooms as well as outdoor spaces.

All forms of membership offer high-speed Wi-Fi and there are communal areas in addition to the meeting spaces and boardrooms. Roasted Truth, an artisan barista-operated coffee bar established in one of the many converted shipping containers, and its adjacent coffee deck, is another perk for members.

Almar Mobile Containers Provide a Reason for Being

When the owners of Ikigai decided to expand their office space, there were several major challenges they had to consider, including the fact that permanent structures were not acceptable. Aesthetics are important to the Ikigai team, and it was essential that if mobile containers were going to be used, these had to blend with the existing environment.

Almar Container Group, which has operated in Kenya since 2010 and is now the country’s largest supplier of steel containers to the end-user market, was approached to undertake the project. One of the benefits would be the speed of delivery and Almar’s ability to move the mobile containers to another site later if required.

First, they had to identify suitable areas for converted shipping containers. Then they had to design both a workable layout and container design based on this configuration. Ikigai needed big glass windows and doors incorporated in the design to facilitate both light and airflow. Almar’s designers achieved this by using double-glass sliding doors and lovely big tilting windows. The containers were also well insulated.

PVC tiled flooring was chosen, and down-lighters were installed to meet the client’s brief for smart, modern, and functional office spaces. The exterior walls of the containers were covered with timber cladding that would blend with the garden environment and surrounding spaces. Ultimately, the project shows how effectively converted shipping containers can be used in an upmarket residential area.

The Almar Promise

Whether you want accommodation for offices or boardrooms in upmarket converted shipping containers, mobile containers for traditional industrial office use, or steel containers that can be converted into living accommodation, Almar can help fulfil your needs in Southern Africa or the Middle East. Call us to discuss your needs or request a shipping container cost.

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The sub-Saharan Africa rail revitalisation project that is rehabilitating and upgrading vital railway networks in Southern African Development Community (SADC) is surging ahead using storage containers for rent, particularly in the north-south corridor that runs from Durban through Zimbabwe and Zambia to the United Republic of Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The project incorporates two other corridors, east-west that links Namibia, Botswana, and Lesotho to South Africa, and the Maputo corridor that links Swaziland and Mozambique to South Africa.

Not only will rail revitalisation improve the quality of rail networks through the region, enabling mining and other industries to transport more steel containers by rail more quickly, safely, efficiently, and economically, but it also represents a paradigm shift in the way SADC railways have been operating. Instead of countries in sub-Saharan Africa working in isolation, the project will drive economic growth through the region and develop what will become a single, unified railway system.

The rail revitalisation project is driven by national governments and as such, represents a substantial investment in the region. It is a mammoth project primarily because the rail network has been poorly maintained throughout the region for a very long period of time.

The Role of Almar in the Rail Revitalisation Project

Being part of the rejuvenation of this incredibly important logistics backbone to Africa has been a long-standing dream for the team at Almar Container Group, a leader in the global steel containers industry.

As a South African Department of Transport green paper published in 2015 stated, the rail transport sector has had “mixed fortunes” since it was inaugurated way back in 1860. Even though a rail network offers much more efficient transport solutions than road transportation, it has been substantially under-utilised over the past few decades. As a result, one of the major challenges is the “aging, deteriorating or obsolete” state of the existing network. The first project envisaged in the green paper was to promote efficient movement of goods through “industrial corridors” that connect coalfields to power stations as well as the expansion of coal and iron-ore rail lines, and expansion of ports – which is happening now.

In recent months, the South African government as well as other SADC governments have become increasingly aware of the incredible potential railways have to inject into the economy of the region. For instance, Zambia has implemented a target of 30 percent of all mining-related exports travelling via rail. State-owned entities in various countries that previously maintained tight control over rolling stock have begun to ease up and allow private operators the space to drive the efficient use of the rail infrastructure. And finally, shippers of cargo are starting to buy into the opportunity with the initial trial shipment showing incredible efficiencies.

Almar has receiving and collection facilities for steel containers in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, which has enabled the company to play a key role in the final roll-out of the rail solution, allowing shippers even more efficiency with one-way rentals. What this means is that there is never any need for shippers to pay for empty returns of mobile containers.

The storage containers for rent service offered by Almar is operational in the north-south corridor, in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania, where various drop-off points are located. The company has more than 150 of its 20ft containers available along this route. Please contact us for container rental prices.

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Client:

A tyre distributor seeking to setup a cost effective warehouse to assist with distribution of retail and industrial vehicle tyres.

Scope of work:

We were approached by the customer who was conducting a comparative analysis between building a traditional warehouse vs a modular, onsite storage container warehouse. We needed to work closely with them to assist in the design and logistics of construction of approximately 2,700m² of warehousing within a total of 6 weeks.

Challenges:

Not only was the budget for the project extremely limited, but the timing for delivery was also very tight. The requirement was to deliver all 96 containers within 10 days to ensure that the remaining construction could meet the 6 week build deadline.

End Result:

The merits of using onsite storage containers far exceeded a traditional warehouse, not only from a cost perspective, but also in the time to build the structure which was significantly shorter than a standard warehouse manufacture time.
The containers were also used shipping containers which meant that it was an environmentally friendly solution. They design also allows for future warehouse growth by merely adding further containers.

Client:

The client was a UK based Events Management Company that had secured a contract with the Govt. of Saudi Arabia to put on a road show to give the people of KSA an opportunity to record and leave messages for the ruling family of KSA.

Scope of work:

Modify 2 x 20ft New containers. Containers had to be full side opening containers. One unit would serve as a store and a display/advertisement board while the other container would be made up of 4 private small booths. Each booth would container a video recording facility to allow Saudi Nationals to leave a personal message to the Ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Challenges:

We had a very limited time frame in which to finalise a layout plan, procure material, execute the work and then still deliver the containers via road into Saudi Arabia to meet the first planned event. We had a total of 2 weeks which was always going to be tight. Air Conditioning was also a challenge as we needed A/C units which could duct air into each booth. These were not available. So we had to install 4 separate split A/C units.

End Result:

We met the deadline and the client was happy with the end product.

Client:

Hunting Energy Services

Scope of work:

Modify a 40ft High Cube container into a High-Pressure Testing room. After modification, the test room had to be able to withstand an internal pressure test failure at extremely high pressure with a defined penetration test.

Challenges:

• Weight: The container had to be lined with 10mm thick steel plates and 100mm of hard wood as the material that would withstand the force of a penetration in the event of a test failure. The weight of this material was around 20 Ton. We had to keep rotating the container to each side and roof when we were fixing the steel plates and wood to each internal surface, and as more material was added the unit became heavier and more difficult to manoeuvre.
• Electrics and comms: The unit had to be supplied internally with power points to run machinery as well as have internal remote TV cameras to monitor the testing process remotely, and these had to be protected to limit potential penetration in the event of a failure in testing. We were also responsible for co-ordinating with the supplier of this equipment to ensure we clearly understood what their requirements were for cable openings and cable conduits and ensure they were placed and installed correctly.
• Door design safety switch: The door had to be designed with sensors to ensure that if the doors were opening during a testing process that the testing process would automatically cut off air pressure supply.

End Result:

Client was happy with the end result and the unit is currently being used successfully as intended.

Location: South Sudan and Kenya
Solution: Genset and Reefer Container Rental
Customer: World Food Programme (WFP)

WFP approached us with an urgent perishable cargo shipment to be transported to a remote area in South Sudan and needed to keep it on site and cool in an incredibly hot and remote area. In addition to the harsh conditions, the length of the need for the on-site storage was unknown and as such buying refrigeration equipment was a risk.

Our team in Nairobi supplied new refrigerated containers and gensets within a day on a flexible rental basis allowing WFP to not only mobilise the desperately needed supplies quickly, but they also didn’t have to expand greatly needed capital resource to do so.

On completion of the project, the need for the reefer container was only just over 3 months as the supply mission was successful and no longer-term project was required. This meant that not only did the quick mobilisation of the reefer save WFP time to get the mission up and running, but they did not have to spend over $35,000 to purchase unnecessary capital assets and could return the reefer on completion.