Manganese Metal Company (MMC), a key player in the global manganese industry, has entered into an energy supply agreement with local independent power producer NOA Group.
This will allow MMC to secure an estimated 70% of its electricity from renewable sources.
According to a statement, the deal, which leverages NOA’s portfolio of wind and solar photovoltaic facilities with a combined capacity of 86MW, underscores MMC’s commitment to sustainability and alignment with global decarbonisation efforts.
As the custodian of the world’s largest manganese reserves – an important component of steels and magnetic alloys – SA plays a pivotal role in producing high-purity manganese metal and manganese sulphate monohydrate for battery electric vehicles.
Karel Cornelissen, CEO of NOA Group, states: “This master energy supply agreement supports MMC’s strategy to minimise its environmental impact by securing clean, renewable energy in alignment with the decarbonisation goals of its global customer base.”
MMC specialises in the production and export of refined, high-purity manganese products. Based in Mbombela, Mpumalanga province, and operating since 1974, MMC caters to a diverse client base across 20 countries.
The renewables agreement effectively decouples the generation of renewable energy from the point of consumption through NOA’s aggregation model and trading platform, says NOA Group.
Unlike traditional bilateral agreements that are tied to individual generation facilities, this model offers greater flexibility and efficiency in energy supply due to the energy being supplied from NOA’s portfolio of generation facilities, it notes.
Under this 20-year agreement, NOA says it will provide a renewable energy profile equating to 245GWh per annum, facilitated by Eskom’s wheeling framework. By sourcing energy from multiple generation facilities across the country, NOA says it ensures increased reliability of renewable energy delivery.
This approach optimises generation profiles by leveraging diverse geographic and resource-specific characteristics, it adds.
Meanwhile, Eskom today issued an alert of high risk of load-shedding following more than 10 months of uninterrupted power supply.
The utility says it has experienced several breakdowns over the past seven days that require extended repair times.
In response to growing pressure to adopt environmentally-friendly energy sources, mining and other industrial sectors are increasingly turning to energy aggregators for sustainable solutions.
Bernard Swanepoel, executive chairman of MMC, notes: “This landmark agreement with NOA Group marks a significant step in MMC’s sustainability journey, ensuring a reliable and renewable energy supply that aligns with our commitment to decarbonisation and environmental stewardship.”
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