South Africa, Japan Collaborate for Green Ammonia Studies
Japanese general trading company ITOCHU Corporation and South African chemicals and energy company, Sasol, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly study and develop the market and supply chain for green ammonia, focusing on its use as bunkering fuel and for power generation.
Under the MoU, the parties will also evaluate ITOCHU’s potential involvement and participation in Sasol’s green ammonia export-orientated project(s), including product offtake as well as financial support from Japan for studies and grants relating to green ammonia projects in South Africa.
Sasol is advancing a number of green hydrogen studies and projects in South Africa, such as in Boegoebaai in the Northern Cape province, that include green ammonia production at scale for export.
Hydrogen and ammonia also play an important role in the Japanese Green Growth Strategy and are positioned as “new resources” with significant potential to reduce the country’s reliance on carbon-intensive fossil fuels, such as coal and oil.
Using this MoU as a platform, the two companies will jointly study supply chains and markets for green ammonia, and assess other partnership models related to green hydrogen and ammonia production and exports from South Africa.
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Malawi Secures PPP for Mpatamanga Hydropower Plant
Government of Malawi, the IFC, Scatec and EDF has signed a binding, Public-Private Partnership framework for the co-development of the Mpatamanga hydropower project.
The agreement concluded Malawi’s long search for a private sector partner to finance, build, and operate the Mpatamanga hydropower plant. Located on the Shire River, the 350-megawatt (MW) facility will be a first-of-its-kind in Malawi. The 309 MW plant with its reservoir storage is designed to provide much needed energy during peak demand hours of the day and overall grid stability with its ability to ramp up or down production to meet actual demand.
Scatec, and its venture partners British International Investment (BII) and Norfund, and EDF are majority shareholders in the project and will own 55% of the project, split between them. The Government of Malawi will own 30%, and IFC 15% of the total project shareholding.
Mpatamanga will deliver electricity to approximately two million people and save 520,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. “The hydropower project will not only double the installed capacity of hydropower in Malawi, but also improve power supply security, provide opportunities for increased renewable energy generation capacity in the country.
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EGYPT: Solar Energy Provider KarmSolar to Raise $80m for Expansion
The Egyptian company KarmSolar, which specialises in the production and distribution of solar energy is raising $80m to finance its expansion in Egypt and other countries in the region. The company installs solar photovoltaic power plants for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers.
A few months ago, KarmSolar commissioned a solar PV plant at Cairo 3A Poultry, a poultry farm near Cairo. The company claims 42 MW of secured and financed generation assets (of which 30 MW are operational) and 48 MVA of contracted power distribution capacity in the industrial, commercial, agricultural and tourism sectors.
“Through the sale of a minority stake, we are looking for a new partner to join KarmSolar’s existing shareholders and its strategic shareholder, EDF Renewables, to support the next stage of its expansion,” says Ahmed Zahran, KarmSolar’s CEO.
The Egyptian company is being advised by US-based Synergy Consulting in its fundraising. “The injection of funds will support the existing power generation and distribution business, and allow new verticals, such as solar water desalination solutions provider KarmWater and electric mobility company KarmCharge, to flourish,” says KarmSolar.
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