Minister for Trade & Investment Lord Livingston congratulated Clarke Energy this week as the company prepared to announce a major new business deal in Mozambique. Collaborating with GE Distributed Power, Clarke Energy is to boost Mozambique’s local grid with a 40 megawatt on-site power plant, providing more reliable electricity for the southern part of the country.
The Minister visited Liverpool for the launch of the International Festival of Business (IFB), the biggest trade fair in the UK in over 60 years, and then travelled to Clarke Energy’s Knowsley headquarters to meet staff including Chairman and Founder Jim Clarke, Chief Executive Jamie Clarke and Alex Marshall, Group Marketing and Compliance Manager.
Clarke Energy is the authorised distributor and service partner for GE Power & Water’s gas-powered reciprocating engines in sixteen countries worldwide. It has significant experience in a wide range of different gas applications including natural gas, biogas, landfill gas and coal gases.
The company has multinational operations in Algeria, Australia, Bangladesh, Botswana, France, India, Ireland, Lesotho, Mozambique, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia and the United Kingdom.
The family owned business secured its first Jenbacher gas engine order in Mozambique with energy company Kuvaninga Energia. Clarke Energy has been GE’s Jenbacher gas engine distributor since 2013 and is now to supply 10 natural gas engines for a 40 megawatte independent power production facility near the town of Chokwe in the southern Mozambique province of Gaza. The engines are scheduled for delivery towards the end of the year, and Clarke Energy will also provide preventative maintenance services.
Clarke Energy is presenting its story at Africa Rising, a three day event running from 12 – 14 June. Part of the IFB2014, this is a high profile conference focusing on opportunities across the African continent, attracting delegates from multiple sectors, and featuring speakers from Ghana, the African Union Commission and the British African Business Alliance.
As well as the recent Mozambique deal, Clarke Energy’s projects in Africa include a biogas plant in Lake Naivasha, Kenya; a pioneering compressed natural gas (CNG) project at the Nestle Flowergate factory in Nigeria, and Tronox, South Africa, a project utilising furnace gas for power.
UKTI North West has worked with Clarke Energy on visits, research and market opportunities, and recently the company has commissioned OMIS (Overseas Market Introduction Service) reports, attended trade missions and worked closely with International Trade Adviser Lynne Gillen to secure opportunities in African markets. The company has also made use of UK Export Finance and, thanks to UKTI contacts, had the High Commissioner for South Africa open one of their trade events.
After a tour of the factory and a presentation on Clarke Energy’s business, Lord Livingston discussed the help available for companies hoping to enter more challenging markets and revealed that UKTI is planning to put more resources into African markets due to the growing opportunities there.
Lord Livingston said:
“I am pleased to have visited Clarke Energy today, as it is a great example of a British business making the most of opportunities in export markets. Energy is an enormously important sector, and Clarke Energy is playing a vital role in installing pioneering low carbon and renewable power supplies in a wide range of markets.
I would like to congratulate the company on its new business in Mozambique. In the past decade, six out of ten of the world’s fastest growing economies were in Africa, and although there are challenges in the market, companies willing to persevere will find opportunities in many sectors, including energy, security, ICT and education and training.
The International Festival of Business is a wonderful opportunity to showcase what the UK has to offer the world, and the many excellent companies we have here. The UK is increasingly seen as a great place to do business and confidence among our exporters is at near record highs. UKTI will be hosting many market and sector events at IFB over the next six weeks, and is working hard to help more British firms find new international customers and encouraging more companies to set up and grow their business here.”
Chairman Jim Clarke said:
“We are delighted to welcome Lord Livingston to Clarke Energy and to explain more about our business and our progress in Africa. It is exciting to be playing a key role in the development of this pioneering gas engine power plant for both our company and GE in Mozambique. Backed up by our regional service team, this facility will provide stable supplies of power in southern Mozambique for many years to come.”
