Fluor Igoda Projects, a 70/30  joint venture between Fluor SA and Igoda Projects was announced as the first major empowerment deal in the consulting engineering sector on the 1st January 2006.  Fluor Igoda Projects  the new black-empowered engineering firm will specialise in engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services (EPCM) activities operating in the oil, gas and petrochemicals sector in South Africa. Fluor Igoda Projects has offices in Durban and Johannesburg.

Fluor SA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fluor Corporation, a For- tune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Fluor provides services on a global basis in the fields of engineering, procurement, construction, operations, maintenance and project management and has been present is South Africa for over 45 years

Igoda Projects is an integrated Engineering Consulting Firm provid­ing electrical, Instrumentation, process control, structural and me­chanical engineering. The company provides engineering solutions, project management services to industrial projects, private developers and government sector. Igoda has participated in various projects within the Petro­chemical, Pipeline, Energy Management, and infrastructure develop­ment works

The relationship between Fluor and Igoda Projects started in 2003 at Engen refinery, in Durban, when Igoda Projects, formerly known as MIS Projects, was Fluor SA’s electrical and instrumentation subcontractor. After working together successfully for about 18 months, discussions of the joint venture beg

“At that stage both parties agreed that Fluor SA should help Igoda Projects to develop skills to enable it to participate in full engineering services in the execution of EPCM projects,” says Ernest Ngubo CEO Igoda Projects.

“Our main business is engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services in the oil, gas and petrochemicals industries, specialising in onsite-based activities.” Fluor Igoda Projects will endeavour to develop and nurture technical expertise of black engineers by identifying and attracting suitable candidates into the company. “Skills transfer and training will be the basis for capacity development and will be provided by Fluor SA,” adds Ngubo The alliance contracts, ceded to Fluor Igoda Projects, mainly provide EPCM services in an integrated team environment with the client personnel. “The projects that we execute under the alliance contracts vary in size, dependent on the work- scope release,” says Tawarima. The Durban operation has about 140 people at both refineries

The company will also be looking at opportunities working within Fluor SA to provide detail engineering services on a broader basis. The robust economic growth in South Africa and environmental specifications will see more large and complex capital projects being released, which will require certain specialised skills. This augurs well for the venture as it provides a broader platform for developing emerging black talent in engineering.