Manganese producer and exporter Manganese Metal Company (MMC) has entered into an energy supply agreement with integrated energy utility NOA Group to secure an estimated 70% of its electricity from renewable sources.

The deal will leverage NOA’s portfolio of wind and solar PV facilities with a combined capacity of 86 MW.

As the custodian of the world’s largest manganese reserves, South Africa plays a pivotal role in producing high-purity manganese metal and manganese sulphate monohydrate for battery electric vehicles.

“This master energy supply agreement (MESA) 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,” NOA CEO Karel Cornelissen said.

NOA added that the MESA effectively decoupled the generation of renewable energy from the point of consumption through NOA’s advanced aggregation model and trading platform.

Unlike traditional bilateral agreements that are tied to individual generation facilities, this model offers more flexibility, efficiency and certainty in energy supply owing to the energy being supplied from NOA’s portfolio of generation facilities.

Under the 20-year MESA, NOA will provide a renewable-energy profile equating to 245 GWh/y, facilitated by State-owned utility Eskom’s wheeling framework.

“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, while reinforcing our role as the largest global supplier of high-purity, selenium-free manganese metal.

“It will also enable our high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate product to be credited with industry-leading low-carbon emission intensity,” MMC executive chairperson Bernard Swanepoel noted on January 30.

MMC owns and operates a refinery, in Mbombela, Nelspruit, which produces high-grade electrolytic manganese metal.

By sourcing energy from multiple generation facilities across the country, NOA can ensure increased reliability of renewable-energy delivery. This approach optimises generation profiles by leveraging diverse geographic and resource-specific characteristics.

“Driven by the growing emphasis on environmental sustainability, mining and other industrial sectors are making proactive strides toward adopting clean energy solutions.

“By partnering with energy aggregators, such as NOA, these industries are not only securing material long-term energy savings, but also significantly reducing their carbon footprints. This positive shift aligns with regulatory standards and corporate sustainability goals, positioning these sectors as leaders in the transition to a more sustainable future in South Africa,” Cornelissen said.