As the global drive toward carbon neutrality pushes ahead, some countries and industries are aiming for 2040, others have set their sights on 2050, to reach their targets. For heavy industry and hard-to-abate sectors, reaching these goals presents significant challenges, yet pressure is mounting across all industries to make progress.
The Mooiplats solar PV plant is part of the Koruson 2 cluster of projects, now nearing commercial operation.
Addressing this transition, Envusa Energy offers tailored, scalable solutions to support organisations on their path to carbon neutrality and sustainable energy.
A 50/50 joint venture between EDF power solutions and Anglo American, Envusa Energy delivers clean, scalable energy solutions and is playing a key role in helping major industrial operations, including Anglo American, progress towards their carbon neutrality goals. The company is now expanding its service in offering tailored solutions to support various organisations on their path.
“Our objective is to extend our services into the wider market and support other hard-to-abate entities in Southern Africa on their carbon neutrality journey,” says Nicole Mason, Acting CEO of Envusa Energy.
Taking ambition into action
Sectors such as mining, steel, and cement are among the largest contributors to carbon emissions globally. Envusa understands that each organisation is different, each faces its own set of complexities shaped by industry, scale, and geography. This drives Envusa to develop tailored energy solutions, carefully aligned with the specific operational realities and long-term sustainability goals of each client.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all model, Envusa has adopted a portfolio-based strategy that allows for partnership and collaboration between the independent power producer (IPP) and the off-taker. The company develops and integrates a range of energy assets – wind, solar, and battery storage – across geographies and aggregates them to supply a portfolio of clients.
“As well as meeting power demands, this approach mitigates risk and enables cross collateralisation at a portfolio level,” says Mason.
“Our competitive advantage lies in creating a balanced and complementary energy mix that brings us closer to achieving carbon-neutral electricity supply.”
A proven platform
Envusa’s two major partners, EDF power solutions, with its global experience in energy systems, and Anglo American, with its deep regional presence and a strong commitment to sustainability, give the business a significant advantage in delivering optimal solutions to off-takers. Its partnership with Anglo American has delivered a proven platform, with the mining company on track to reach its goal and move towards carbon-neutral electricity across its operations by 2040.
“The capabilities and commitment of the people at Anglo American, Envusa Energy, and EDF power solutions have proven to be effective and have allowed us to accelerate progress in ways that would have been difficult to achieve independently,” Mason adds.
The company also brings technical credibility and long-term reliability to its off-takers. It claims to be currently the only IPP and energy trader in the market with the capacity to deliver a genuine portfolio-based approach. Every project is assessed comprehensively to ensure alignment with its Net Positive Impact (NPI) goal. This supports the preservation of ecosystems while enabling development.
Building communities
For Envusa, a Just Energy Transition is inseparable from community development. Through its social economic development approach, the company adapts its strategy to each project’s location, engaging early with local stakeholders.
“Community relationships are vital, no matter where a project is located,” says Mason. “Our community interface is critical to the success of our business.
“Each project is different. For us, the most important thing is to listen to communities and respond to their needs and priorities. Energy is fundamental to social and economic development and delivering clean, renewable power to regions experiencing energy shortages is deeply rewarding. It empowers communities and enables long-term socio-economic development.”
The road ahead
For Mason, the most exciting aspect of the company’s work is its transformative impact on the Southern African energy landscape. Envusa is fast approaching a major milestone as the Koruson 2 cluster of projects, comprising 240 MW of solar PV and two 140 MW wind projects, to deliver 520 MW of capacity in total, is nearing commercial operation. This will mark a major step forward for the company in achieving its long-term goals.
“There is significant potential for us to expand, to contribute to the region’s energy needs and to play a role in advancing a more open and competitive electricity trading market in South Africa,” says Mason.
“The Southern African region is blessed with rich renewable resources. There is huge opportunity for the region to flourish. The longer-term impact could be to create sustainable connections across Southern Africa.”
For more information visit: www.envusa.com