South Africa’s first licensed, private electricity trader POWERX has extended its partnership with manganese metal producer Manganese Metal Company (MMC), securing the supply of 100% renewable hydroelectric energy to MMC’s new high purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HP MSM) project in Mbombela.

This agreement marks a significant milestone in the global battery materials value chain, as MMC’s new HP MSM facility will be one of the lowest-carbon HP MSM production sites in the world powered entirely by renewable hydro energy supplied through POWERX.

 POWERX first signed with MMC in December 2021 and began supplying renewable hydroelectric power in 2022. Since then, MMC has extended the partnership multiple times - most recently committing to a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with POWERX, highlighting the long-term reliability and value of renewable energy in South Africa’s industrial landscape.

As MMC celebrates over 50 years as a trusted global supplier of high-purity, selenium-free manganese products, this collaboration highlights how strategic renewable power integration can transform heavy industry while contributing to the global transition toward sustainable mobility and energy storage.

Enabling the World’s Cleanest Battery Supply Chain

MMC’s new HP MSM plant - currently under construction and starting production in 2026 - will produce 6 000 t/y of high-purity manganese sulphate, a critical component in the manufacture of cathode materials for electric vehicle and energy storage batteries.

By supplying hydroelectric power to this facility, POWERX is directly enabling one of the world’s cleanest and most sustainable battery raw material supply chains, reducing the carbon intensity of manganese sulphate production to a fraction of the current dominant supply.

“Our mission has always been to enable sustainable industrial growth,” says POWERX CEO Thembani Bukula. “Supplying 100% renewable energy to MMC’s new plant is a milestone - not just for POWERX, but for the entire global battery value chain.”

“POWERX’s reliable and clean energy is central to our ambition to produce the world’s most trusted HP MSM,” MMC CEO adds Louis Nel. “This sets a new benchmark for environmentally responsible battery material production.”

SA’s Most Experienced Private Energy Trader

With more than a decade of trading experience and a proprietary technology platform that integrates renewable generation with industrial demand, POWERX remains the most experienced private energy trader in South Africa.

Through its growing portfolio of PPAs and renewable wheeling projects, POWERX continues to pioneer mechanisms that make clean energy accessible to large-scale consumers - enabling competitiveness, carbon reduction and industrial resilience.