South Africa's Minister of Minerals and Energy Welcomes Denham Capital Investment in BioTherm Energy to Develop Power Generatio...( Partnership will help alleviate S...)

Partnership will help alleviate South African power crisis

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa and BOSTON Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Denham Capital, a leading energy-focused global private equity firm, announced today that it will invest equity of up to R1,5 billion (US $150 million, 95 million pounds Sterling) in BioTherm Energy, a South African developer, owner and operator of renewable and clean energy generation projects.

Commenting on Denham Capital's investment, Buyelwa Sonjica, South Africa Minister of Minerals and Energy said, "Having opened BioTherm's first plant just over a year ago, we are delighted with this substantial investment by Denham Capital, a major foreign investor, in a business that will generate more electricity in South Africa, contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gasses and create more jobs in the South African economy."

The Minister opened the 4.2 MW biogas to power plant, based at the PetroSA facility in Mossel Bay, east of Cape Town, in September 2007. At that time, it was the first private sector renewable power generation project in Southern Africa funded under the Clean Development Mechanism ("CDM") of the Kyoto Protocol, under which the project earns carbon credits because of its contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gasses. Under the European carbon-trading scheme these credits are in turn sold, primarily to European industries, which need to reduce the cost of their compliance liabilities.

The opportunity for small scale, on-site generation in South Africa has grown significantly and BioTherm Energy has secured, and is continuing to develop, a substantial pipeline in waste gas co-generation, biomass and combined heat and power projects, many of which qualify for carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol. These projects can generate electricity much more rapidly than conventional large-scale power projects, thereby providing needed relief to the South African power system.

Dr. Louis van Pletsen,
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