By Steve Agbota, Lagos

APM Terminals’ West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) has signed a strategic Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Starsight Energy, a leading pan-African clean energy company, for a 1.2 Gigawatt hour (GWh) solar power at its facility in Onne Port, Rivers State.

WACT said the partnership marks a significant step forward in the company’s vision on its net zero journey.

Under the PPA, Starsight Energy will deliver 1.2GWh of solar green energy to WACT during a period of 15 years. This green energy will cover approximately 30 per cent of the total terminal consumption and shows its commitment to lead Eastern ports energy transition journey in alignment with the APM Terminals’ overall strategy of decarbonizing its operations across the globe.

Speaking during the signing of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), the Managing Director of WACT, Jeethu Jose said: “The topic of decarbonization and green energy is something I am passionate about. A year or two back when we brought this topic up, I wasn’t 100 per cent sure we would reach here. “As part of the overall group’s strategy to decarbonize the entire industry in the world, Nigeria plays a key role in that and for me and all of us in the room, this is the first big step towards that journey. Today is a moment we record in WACT’s history as something that we would all be proud of.”

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Starsight Energy, Ladi Sanni said the partnership supports the company’s mission of building a long-term relationship and assisting global brands like APM Terminals’ WACT transit to diversify their energy supply by harnessing the power of clean, renewable energy sources, such as solar.

He said the PPA is a testament to WACT’s forward-thinking energy management and environmental stewardship approach.

“It involves installing a 1092kWp solar-only system, which will be executed via a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The project impact will substantially reduce WACT’s carbon footprint/CO2 emissions by circa 15 million Kg over the contract tenor. This project also aligns with the broader objectives of moving away from carbon-intensive fossil fuels toward cleaner energy, which positively impacts the wider Nigerian energy sector.

“Starsight Energy will leverage its expertise in power generation using solar renewable energy sources and cutting-edge, data-driven technology to provide value to WACT,,” Sanni said.

The West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) which is owned by APM Terminals is the first greenfield container terminal in Nigeria to be built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The terminal is located within the Oil and Gas Free Zone in Onne Port, Rivers State. Over the years, it has grown to become the most efficient gateway to markets outside West Nigeria and it is a major gateway to East Nigeria.