BioThermEnergy (Pty) Limited (BTE) is one of South Africa’s leading renewable energy developers. As one of South Africa's first independent power producer (IPP), BTE has embarked on delivering clean, renewable energy to South Africa with a series of wind and solar farms in the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape provinces. BTE has submitted Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for several sites within South Africa. Construction will commence when all necessary approvals are secured and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) have been signed.
By way of background, BioTherm was founded in 2003 and is one of South Africa's first independent power producers. BioTherm’s business was initially focused on developing waste gas and heat cogeneration projects. In October 2007, BioTherm commissioned a 4.2 megawatt biogas project at the PetroSA refinery in Mossel Bay, Eastern Cape, which was the first non-recourse project-financed independent power producer transaction completed in South Africa. Further, BioTherm is currently engaged in the commissioning of an anaerobic digester at Kanhym, the largest piggery in Africa.
In November 2008, Denham Capital Management LP (Denham Capital), a leading energy and commodities focused global private equity firm (www.denhamcapital.com) with US$ 4.3 billion of invested and committed capital, announced an equity investment of up to US$150 million in BTE to build and acquire a pipeline of renewable energy
projects.
As a proudly South African Company, BTE is a strong advocate for attaining the national goals of expanding the role of renewable energy, not just as an energy source but as an integral part of the economic, environmental and social aims of the country. BTE has a strong Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) partner, who is actively participating in the development of our projects.
Renewable energy has enormous potential to deliver energy to meet the needs of South Africa’s growing economy, creating employment opportunities and new industries. BTE has the unique ability to fully develop renewable energy projects in-house with experts in site development, wind and solar resource measurement and analysis, environmental impact assessments, turbine selection, carbon reduction, construction and maintenance.
BioTherm Energy team members have over 80 years of experience in developing, constructing owning and operating renewable energy projects in Africa, Europe and North America.
BTE is different from other developers in that:
- we aim to own and operate all of our renewable energy projects;
- we include local skills of both physical and intellectual capacity during project development and construction; and
- we proactively incorporate environmental protection, particularly of flora and fauna into our project design.
BTE looks forward to a playing a major role in the growth of private power generation in South Africa.