25.05.2021

A centre for the production and development of animal vaccines in Angola in order to make Africa less dependent on imports

The Angolan government, in consortium with NORÁFRICA, has commissioned GAUFF Engineering to design and build a bio-veterinary centre for the production and development of animal vaccines in Huambo, Angola. A wide range of different vaccines for cattle, pigs, goats, sheep and chickens is to be manufactured there. The production capacity will extend far beyond local demand, so that most of the vaccines can be exported to other African countries.

In addition to the production facilities for vaccine manufacturing, the Bio-Veterinary Centre will include an extensive area for quality control and application testing, as well as a modern research and development laboratory. The aim is to develop vaccines against pathogens that occur specifically in Africa or that have mutated under African conditions in such a way that the vaccines that are currently available on the market do not work at all or only insufficiently. 

This pioneering project was commissioned by the Angolan Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery (MINAGRIP - Ministério da Agricultura e Pescas). The project is part of the program initiated by the President to increase the agricultural productivity and enjoys the highest priority within the framework of the national development plan. The Bio-Veterinary Centre is intended to help make Angola less dependent on vaccine imports and to sustainably develop local agriculture and livestock breeding.

Already in March 2019, GAUFF Engineering was asked by the Angolan presidential administration to analyse the project idea and to develop an implementation proposal. On 24.05.2021, the contract for the realisation of the project with a total order volume of 125.2 million euros was signed. The project is scheduled to already start in 2021.

In Huambo, the capital of the province of the same name in the central southwest of Angola, the Bio-Veterinary Centre is to be built on the grounds of the State Veterinary Institute IIV (Instituto de Investigação Veterinária). The site also houses a part of the Professorial Chair of Veterinary Medicine at Huambo University of Agriculture, which enables a close interlocking of the training with practice and research. The vaccine production is subject to the strictest international requirements and should be certified according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices).

GAUFF Engineering assumes the planning services, quality monitoring, procurement and project management in the project. The commissioning of the entire plant, including required test runs, qualification and validation, is also part of GAUFF Engineering's services.
The construction measures include the following components: 

• Production facility for vaccines,
• research and development laboratory for vaccine development, 
• Buildings for quality control and application testing, 
• Warehouse for raw materials and finished products, 
• Integrated office and administration buildings, 
• Facilities for self-sufficient energy and drinking water supply,
• Warehouse and waste depot, 
• Residential campus for employees and researchers.

For this purpose, GAUFF Engineering will in addition supply and set up the necessary equipment. 

The construction work in the project will be carried out by the German consortium partner NORÁFRICA GmbH. The Angolan government expects this project to provide a lasting impetus for improving animal husbandry and thus making an important contribution to the food security of the population of Angola and other African countries. The proceeds from the export of vaccines are also intended to contribute to the stabilisation of the Angolan state budget.