Hassan Allam Construction has landed a contract from the Egyptian Black Sand Company (EBSC) to construct concentration and separation plants for extracting minerals from black sands, the company said in a statement (pdf). Hassan Allam will carry out the design review, procurement and civil and electro-mechanical works for the facility as well as “the supply, fabrication and installation of all steel structure and plate works.”

The facility is both an import-substitution play and an export opportunity, said Hassan Allam Holding CEO Hassan Allam, noting that “industry in Egypt continues to move towards the use of local, sustainably sourced raw materials. Sourcing black sand minerals locally will not just provide Egyptian manufacturers with accessible replacements to imported raw materials, but will also create new export opportunities.”

The EBSC plant will be the largest of its kind in the region and be built near Burullus in Kafr El Sheikh. EBSC is part of the military-affiliated National Service Products Organization. Company CEO Gen. Ezz El Din Saleh said the plant work will “bolster the economy” and create thousands of jobs while “protecting the environment from radioactive materials found in black sand.”