factory
11 February 2025
Industry Weekfactory
Feb 11, 2025Industry Week
For a manufacturer operating in Ukraine near the Polish border, stopping production two or three times a week is a given—not just for quality issues, or troubleshooting a bottleneck, but for your people to get to safety during air-raid alarms. You build in time for power outages, planned or unplanned. Some of your best people may have to leave abruptly when they are called to serve on the front, so you constantly try to recruit other skilled workers who are looking to relocate because your city is farther from the fighting.
That’s the reality for ZeWood, a small manufacturer in the river city of Lutsk, that manufactures playful, multidimensional wooden clocks and wall maps of fantasy worlds inspired by books, video games and films.
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Divergent Raises $290 Million To Scale 3D Printing For Defence And AerospaceSubscribe to our free newsletter today to keep up to date with the latest manufacturing news.
The aerospace and defence sectors are facing a critical moment. Supply chain bottlenecks, rising geopolitical tensions, and the demand for faster, leaner manufacturing have converged to create pressure across the industry. Divergent Technologies has secured $290 million in new funding at a $2.3 billion valuation. The raise, backed by both equity and debt, is designed to accelerate the company’s push into advanced aerospace and defence production.
By leveraging digital manufacturing, Divergent aims to change how complex structures are designed and built. Its approach combines additive manufacturing, automated assembly, and software into a single adaptive system. This strategy not only targets efficiency but also strengthens the industrial base at a time when the US is seeking resilience in its defence supply chains.
The funding package consists of $250 million in equity and $40 million in debt. Rochefort Asset Management led the investment, underscoring the confidence capital markets have in Divergent’s potential to disrupt traditional manufacturing. For investors, the attraction lies in Divergent’s ability to deliver a repeatable, scalable process rather than one-off engineering projects.
Compared with other major defence-tech financings in the past three years, Divergent’s raise places it among the upper tier of venture-backed manufacturers. The investment reflects a wider trend in capital markets: interest in startups that blend advanced manufacturing technologies with mission-critical applications in defence and aerospace.
This momentum is not limited to early-stage interest. Across the sector, funding rounds are increasingly directed toward scaling production capacity, signaling investor recognition that cutting-edge manufacturing must move beyond the lab and into deployment. Divergent’s $290 million round exemplifies this shift.
At the center of Divergent’s strategy is the Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS). The platform integrates digital design, additive manufacturing, and automated assembly into a single workflow. Unlike traditional factories that depend on tooling and fixed infrastructure, DAPS operates as a flexible production system. Engineers can redesign parts digitally, print them using high-end metal additive processes, and assemble them through robotic automation.
This approach appeals to defence and aerospace customers for several reasons. It allows for rapid prototyping and iterative design. It reduces the dependence on global supply chains by enabling local production. And it cuts down material waste, a persistent issue in aerospace manufacturing where parts are often machined from large billets of expensive alloys.
Divergent has already established partnerships with industry leaders including General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. These collaborations highlight the practical application of DAPS to projects that demand both precision and scalability. By demonstrating results with such high-profile clients, Divergent is building credibility not only as a technology innovator but also as a strategic partner in mission-critical programs.
Supply chain disruption remains one of the most significant risks facing aerospace and defence manufacturers. From raw materials to specialized components, delays and shortages have slowed programs worldwide. The traditional reliance on fixed tooling and long production lead times compounds these challenges.
Additive manufacturing provides an alternative to these vulnerabilities. By shifting more of the production process into digital design and localized printing, companies can reduce exposure to logistics bottlenecks. For the defence industry, this flexibility is particularly important. In times of conflict or rapid deployment, the ability to print and assemble components on demand can provide a strategic advantage.
Divergent’s system adds another layer of benefit: scalability. Unlike one-off 3D printing applications often confined to prototyping, DAPS is designed to operate as a production-level platform. It enables aerospace and defence firms to move from small-batch experimentation to full-scale manufacturing within the same framework. This capability aligns directly with Pentagon priorities to strengthen America’s industrial base and reduce dependency on fragile global supply networks.
Divergent’s funding signals more than growth for a single company. It represents a larger shift in how the aerospace and defence sectors think about manufacturing. For decades, production has been dominated by large, inflexible facilities that required long lead times and heavy capital investments. Today, the industry is increasingly looking to digital, modular, and adaptive systems that can be scaled as needed.
For defence planners, the appeal extends beyond efficiency. In an era defined by strategic competition, particularly with near-peer rivals, the ability to innovate and produce quickly is seen as vital to national security. Divergent’s approach of combining software, hardware, and robotics into a single platform aligns with this priority.
The implications also extend to allied industries. Commercial aerospace, automotive, and energy infrastructure could benefit from production systems that enable lighter, stronger, and more adaptable designs. As Divergent grows, its influence may ripple outward into sectors beyond its current focus, potentially setting new standards for advanced manufacturing.
Divergent’s $290 million raise is more than a financial milestone. It underscores a shift in the manufacturing model for aerospace and defence, moving from rigid, tooling-heavy production lines to digital-first adaptive systems. By investing in capacity expansion and scaling DAPS, the company is positioning itself at the forefront of a reindustrialization wave that blends advanced software with additive manufacturing.
The long-term success of this approach will depend on execution. Scaling production while maintaining precision is not without challenges. However, if successful, Divergent could demonstrate a template for how future aerospace and defence platforms are built.
Sources:
Tech Funding News
Manufacturing Today
factory
16 September 20255 min readDivergent Raises $290 Million To Scale 3D Printing For Defence And Aerospace
Manufacturing Today
16 September 2025
factory
Das Solar Enters Back-Contact Business With 5 Gw Cell FactoryDAS Solar has taken a formal step toward industrializing BC solar cells after local authorities in Guizhou published an EIA public-participation notice for a 5 GW BC high-efficiency cell project.
The Weining County filing, dated Sept. 8, identifies the developer as Das Solar New Energy Technology (Weining) Co. and lists a 177,000-square-meter site planned for cell workshops, chemical stores, wastewater treatment, a 110 kV substation and associated support infrastructure.
The project remains at the EIA disclosure stage. The company and local government have not published a detailed construction timetable or final capital budget.
Das Solar signed a CNY 2 billion (280.7 million) agreement with the Weining authorities in April 2024 for a related n-type cell project. The company’s existing Weining manufacturing base also completed a 2.4 GW n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) module line in January 2024 with a reported investment of CNY 310 million and an annual output value of about CNY 2.5 billion. If the earlier CNY 2 billion framework corresponds to the new 5 GW factory, that would imply a development cost of roughly CNY 400 million per GW – a notional figure that requires official confirmation.
Technically, the move reflects a deliberate shift from DAS Solar’s established TOPCon expertise toward a dual-track strategy. The company describes its BC approach as “DBC” – a hybrid that transfers TOPCon’s SiOx/Poly-Si passivated contact architecture to the rear of the cell and combines it with a full back-contact design. The intended result is a front surface free of metal busbars, higher current density and retention of TOPCon’s cost characteristics.
DAS Solar claimed third-party verification for recent performance gains: a DBC cell registered at 27.77% efficiency with an open-circuit voltage of 745.7 mV, certified by the China Photovoltaic Testing Center (CPVT). It said it has filed more than 60 patents related to BC technology and has led drafting of some 20 industry and group standards.
DAS Solar added that its “DBC 3.0 Plus” is compatible with TOPCon-5.0 process flows and ready for scale-up in 2025, with an initial market focus on distributed generation and BIPV. At the module level, the company showcased a “Diamond” DBC product at SNEC PV+ 18th (2025) International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition, advertising a 670 W output and 24.3% module efficiency.
DAS Solar remains an active TOPCon player. Since its founding in 2018, it has advanced TOPCon through successive generations, reporting a 2024 mass-production average module efficiency of 26.7% and continued process upgrades into 2025. The company said it has built about 40 GW of battery and module capacity across several Chinese provinces and aims to lift component capacity toward 50 GW by the end of 2025.
According to market research firm PV InfoLink, DAS Solar was the world’s ninth-largest module supplier in 2024.
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PV Magazine
powerplant
15 September 20253 min readDas Solar Enters Back-Contact Business With 5 Gw Cell Factory
PV Magazine
15 September 2025
powerplant
Ib Solar Plans 4 Gw Topcon Cell And Module Factory In IndiaFrom pv magazine India
PV module manufacturer IB Solar has secured a Letter of Intent from the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) for the allotment of 25 acres of land for its proposed 4 GW solar cell and module manufacturing facility.
The company, which currently manufactures solar panels and lithium ferro phosphate batteries, will build the integrated solar cell and module plant in Sector 8, near the upcoming Noida International Airport, with an investment of about INR 30 billion.
Abhinav Mahajan, director at IB Solar, told pv magazine the facility in Uttar Pradesh will produce TOPCon cells and modules. It is scheduled for commissioning by 2027.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
PV Magazine
powerplant
15 September 20251 min readIb Solar Plans 4 Gw Topcon Cell And Module Factory In India
PV Magazine
15 September 2025
powerplant
Oklo Picks Tennessee For $1.7B Advanced Fuel CenterNuclear technology company Oklo Inc. announced plans to establish a fuel recycling facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as the first phase of an advanced fuel center.
Oklo expects the investment to total up to nearly $1.7 billion and create over 800 jobs.
The initial investment will support a facility that recovers material from used nuclear fuel and fabricates it into fuel for advanced reactors like Oklo's Aurora powerhouse. The company anticipates the site will begin producing metal fuel for Aurora powerhouses by the early 2030s.
The fuel recycling facility serves as the first phase of Oklo’s broader advanced fuel center, a multi-facility campus aimed at supporting recycling and fuel fabrication.
Oklo also plans to explore opportunities with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to recycle used fuel at the new facility and evaluate potential power sales from future Oklo powerhouses in the region. The company said the collaboration would mark the first time that a U.S. utility explored recycling used fuel into clean electricity through modern electrochemical processes.
"By recycling used fuel at scale, we are turning waste into gigawatts, reducing costs and establishing a secure U.S. supply chain that will support the deployment of clean, reliable and affordable power," Oklo Co-Founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte said.
According to Oklo, more than 94,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel stored at power plant sites around the country contain considerable reserves of recyclable fuel. The company estimated that recycling this fuel could unlock energy equivalent to about 1.3 trillion barrels of oil.
Oklo has completed a licensing project plan for the fuel recycling facility with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and is currently in pre-application engagement with the regulator’s staff. In July, Oklo successfully completed pre-application readiness assessment for Phase 1 of the combined license application for its first commercial Aurora powerhouse.
Manufacturing Net
factory
12 September 20252 min readOklo Picks Tennessee For $1.7B Advanced Fuel Center
Manufacturing Net
12 September 2025
factory
Georgia-Pacific Announces $800 Million Project In AlabamaPaper and forest product manufacturer Georgia-Pacific announced plans to modernize, expand and streamline its Alabama River Cellulose softwood pulp mill in Perdue Hill.
Georgia-Pacific stated that the $800 million project, scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025 and conclude in 2027, would enhance and expand essential manufacturing equipment, increasing the mill's production capacity by about 300 tons per day.
The company expects the mill to annually produce close to 1 million tons of fluff and market pulps.
Georgia-Pacific aims to meet growing demand for softwood pulp products through the investment in the facility, which produces materials used in consumer goods such as baby diapers, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene products, facial tissue, kitchen towels, paper cups and plates.
The project will install a digester, a new pulp dryer and a more efficient power boiler. It will also make modifications to the brown stock washing and recausticizing systems, recovery boiler, evaporators and lime kiln.
Georgia-Pacific also plans to improve the plant's environmental performance by reducing water usage, lowering particulate emissions, using energy more efficiently, improving wastewater processing, capturing more valuable byproducts and improving biomass recovery and utilization.
"Combined with the new funding, the facility will have received more than $1.5 billion in investments," GP Cellulose President Munir Abdallah said. "Modernizing this mill means our business will be well-positioned to meet the growing needs of emerging markets."
Georgia-Pacific directly employs close to 2,400 employees and operates six facilities in Alabama. The Alabama River Cellulose mill provides more than 3,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Manufacturing Net
factory
12 September 20252 min readGeorgia-Pacific Announces $800 Million Project In Alabama
Manufacturing Net
12 September 2025
factory
Us Metals Company And Pakistan Forge $500 Million Mineral Investment PactSubscribe to our free newsletter today to keep up to date with the latest manufacturing news.
US Strategic Metals has signed a $500 million investment agreement with Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organization, paving the way for a new poly-metallic refinery and expanded mineral exports. The deal marks a significant move in the global race to secure critical minerals essential for advanced manufacturing, energy transition technologies, and national security applications.
The Missouri-based firm will partner with Pakistan’s largest miner of critical minerals to develop infrastructure capable of processing and refining key materials including copper, antimony, gold, tungsten, and rare earth elements. Both parties signaled the deal as the first phase in a longer-term collaboration aimed at increasing Pakistan’s mineral output and integrating it with US aligned supply chains.
Beyond the immediate capital investment, the agreement has broader implications for Pakistan’s industrial base. The refinery project is expected to reduce reliance on raw material exports, instead capturing value through in-country processing and manufacturing. This change could benefit a wide range of sectors, from electronics to automotive components, by supporting local job creation and technology transfer.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose office facilitated the deal, framed it as a step toward economic resilience. His administration hopes increased foreign investment in the mining sector will support efforts to reduce Pakistan’s dependence on international debt markets. By processing minerals domestically, the country aims to expand its industrial footprint and strengthen trade relations with the US.
The US Department of Energy classifies many of the minerals included in the agreement as essential to national competitiveness. Rare earth elements, in particular, are vital to the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, and military hardware. As countries reassess supply chain dependencies, the US has moved to diversify away from China, which currently dominates global refining capacity.
For Washington, Pakistan offers an alternative source of strategic materials in a region where commercial and diplomatic ties are becoming increasingly important. The refinery project complements a recently finalized trade agreement between the two countries focused on lowering tariffs and facilitating investment in minerals and energy development.
Despite the promising scope of the deal, operating conditions remain complex. Much of Pakistan’s mineral wealth lies in Balochistan, a region affected by separatist unrest. Earlier this year, the US State Department designated the Balochistan National Army as a terrorist organization, underscoring the security risks foreign firms may face while working in the region.
The Pakistani government has committed to improving security protocols and offering guarantees to investors operating in sensitive areas. Still, the viability of large-scale mineral projects will depend in part on the ability to maintain stability and local support in mineral-rich provinces.
The agreement with US Strategic Metals is one of several recent initiatives involving foreign investment in Pakistan’s mining sector. Canadian firm Barrick Gold already holds a 50 percent stake in the Reko Diq copper and gold project, one of the world’s largest undeveloped reserves. Portuguese construction firm Mota-Engil also signed a memorandum of understanding this week to explore logistics infrastructure in support of mineral exports.
The involvement of multiple international actors reflects growing interest in Pakistan’s untapped resource base, estimated by the government to be worth several trillion dollars. As more projects materialize, the country could become a hub for mineral processing and logistics serving both regional and global markets.
AP News
Manufacturing Today
factory
11 September 20253 min readUs Metals Company And Pakistan Forge $500 Million Mineral Investment Pact
Manufacturing Today
11 September 2025
factory
Canadian Shipbuilder Davie Reveals Plans For $1B Icebreaker Factory In TexasDavie Defense Inc., the American arm of Canadian shipbuilder Davie, has revealed detailed plans for a $1 billion “American Icebreaker Factory” in Galveston, Texas, marking one of the largest expansions of U.S. shipbuilding capacity in decades.
The facility will be developed at the Gulf Copper shipyard, a historic site on Galveston’s waterfront, and will be purpose-built to deliver Arctic Security Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard. Renderings show at least six new assembly bays, a reclaimed waterfront apron, and two new shiplifts replacing four of the yard’s existing finger piers.
Davie Defense said the investment is designed to meet the Trump administration’s shipbuilding priorities, including the Coast Guard’s urgent need for new polar vessels.
The new facility is being developed in partnership with Pearlson, a Florida-based specialist in shipyard design and program management, which has previously worked with BAE Systems, Austal USA, and Fincantieri Marinette.
Davie also highlighted the role of its Finnish subsidiary, Helsinki Shipyard, which has decades of experience in constructing advanced icebreakers. Helsinki has built many of Russia’s non-nuclear icebreakers and is currently producing Canada’s Polar Max, scheduled for delivery by 2030 as one of the world’s most powerful polar ships.
Executives said this expertise will be applied in Texas, noting that their proposed Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) design is already proven in seven ships. Davie Defense claims it can deliver the first ASC within 26 months of signing a contract.
The U.S. Coast Guard, backed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, has a $3.5 billion budget for medium icebreakers but must allocate it quickly. In April, the service issued a Request for Information for up to three ASCs that could be delivered within three years. The goal is to have the first ship in service before the end of President Donald Trump’s current term.
Currently, the U.S. has only three polar icebreakers, while Russia operates over 40, and China is quickly expanding its fleet.
The Coast Guard’s current Polar Security Cutter program at Bollinger Shipyards has faced major delays, with the first delivery now pushed to 2030, six years behind schedule.
Davie Defense projects the Galveston yard could directly employ more than 2,000 workers and support more than 7,000 jobs across Texas. An independent study by Impact Data Source estimates the overall economic impact at $9 billion. The company added that around 4,000 jobs nationwide could be created across its supply chain.
The project faces competition from a new consortium led by Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards. That group includes Finland’s Rauma Shipyard, Canada’s Seaspan Shipyards, and Aker Arctic Technology, and is also aiming to build the next generation of U.S. icebreakers.
Davie’s expansion in Texas follows its acquisition of Gulf Copper’s shipbuilding assets in Galveston and Port Arthur, a deal announced in June and expected to close soon. The company said it shares a long-term vision with Gulf Copper to turn Texas into a hub for advanced icebreaker and complex ship construction.
The initiative also supports the ICE Pact, a trilateral agreement signed in July 2024 by the U.S., Canada, and Finland to strengthen cooperation on icebreaker production and polar security. Davie’s Canadian operations have delivered more than 720 specialised ships since 1825, while Helsinki Shipyard has built over half the world’s icebreaker fleet.
A formal ceremony is planned in Texas this fall to mark the start of construction on the new facility.
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Marine Insight
port & ship
11 September 20254 min readCanadian Shipbuilder Davie Reveals Plans For $1B Icebreaker Factory In Texas
Marine Insight
11 September 2025
port-and-ship
Red Bull, Partners To Begin Building $1.5B North Carolina HubEnergy drink maker Red Bull and two partner companies are finally starting construction on new beverage and packaging facilities in North Carolina, local economic development officials announced.Red Bull, Rauch North America and Ball Corp. were slated to break ground this week on their respective projects at an industrial park outside Charlotte, the Charlotte Observer reported. The companies originally announced plans for the hub in 2021, but the scope grew after local officials authorized larger incentives for the companies. The facilities are now expected to cost about $1.5 billion Red Bull and fellow Austrian beverage maker Rauch will establish a production, filling and distribution site that will be able to put out 3 billion cans each year, while Ball will produce aluminum cans for Red Bull and other companies at a nearby plant.Red Bull now expects to begin operations in 2028 and climb to the site’s full capacity by 2031.
Manufacturing Business Technology
factory
11 September 20251 min readRed Bull, Partners To Begin Building $1.5B North Carolina Hub
Manufacturing Business Technology
11 September 2025
factory
Siemens Energy Invests $235 M In Nuremberg FactoryImage credit: 1take1shot / Shutterstock.com
Germany, Nuremberg: Siemens Energy has announced a $235 M (€220 M) investment to expand its transformer factory in Nuremberg, Germany, a move that will create 350 new jobs and boost production capacity by 50 %.
The foundation stone for the site expansion was laid today,with Bavaria’s Minister President Dr Markus Söder and Nuremberg’s Mayor Marcus König. With this investment, Siemens Energy is addressing the sharp increase in global demand for large transformers which play a crucial role in grid expansion.
The Nuremberg site, which has been producing transformers since 1912, currently employs around 1,000 people. The expansion will add 16,000 m2 to the factory, with new production areas expected to be operational by 2028. Construction will continue alongside ongoing operations to meet soaring demand for large transformers, which are vital for grid expansion and renewable integration.
“Siemens Energy is creating 350 modern jobs in a place that has shaped energy history for over a century,” said Dr Söder. “Transformers and converters from Nuremberg are essential for secure power grids and the energy transition.”
Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy, highlighted the site’s long history and strong workforce: “With 113 years of expertise and highly qualified employees, Nuremberg has the right conditions to keep delivering key technologies for the energy transition.”
Last year, Siemens Energy announced a $106 M (€90 M) investment at the same site for a new converter production facility. In total, Siemens Energy has invested around $1.17 B (€1 B) in Germany over the past three years. In 2024, the company created approximately 1,300 new jobs in Germany, with up to 1,500 more expected by the end of 2026.
Source: Siemens Energy
#Christian Bruch#jobs#Marcus König#Markus Söder#Nuremberg#Siemens Energy#transformer factory expansion
The $3.7 B partnership will secure long-term funding for Germany’s transmission grid expansion, supporting energy transition goals.
The company will inaugurate its Trotwood site on 9 October with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, presentations, and a guided tour.
After a historic blackout left 50 million people without electricity, Iberian leaders demand urgent grid interconnections with the rest of Europe.
Transformers-Magazine
powerplant
09 September 20252 min readSiemens Energy Invests $235 M In Nuremberg Factory
Transformers-Magazine
09 September 2025
powerplant
Sodium-Ion Battery Maker Natron Energy Shuts Down, Halts $1.4B Factory PlansBeyond the company’s plans for North Carolina, Natron operated two U.S. battery facilities. In a letter dated Aug. 28, the company informed Michigan officials that it would permanently close its facilities in Holland, Michigan, and Santa Clara, California, on Sept. 3, affecting 95 employees across both states.
Prior to the closure, Natron was seeking out capital from new and existing investors, as well as new purchase orders that would have resulted in future revenue, the company said in its letter. However, on Aug. 27, its board of directors determined Natron’s efforts were unsuccessful, sparking the layoffs and ultimate shuttering of the company.
Established in 2012, Natron designed its batteries for a range of customers in the industrial power space, including for data centers, electric vehicle charging, telecommunications and more.
Unlike competing batteries made of lithium-acid or lithium-ion, Natron’s sodium-ion batteries did not require expensive materials such as lithium, cobalt or nickel, according to Natron’s website.They also had a stronger battery life due to its Prussian blue electrode structure, the company said.
The 1.2 million-square-foot plant would have produced 14 gigawatts of sodium-ion batteries in North Carolina, expanding Natron’s production 40 times over. The Michigan location began operations in April 2024.
Typically, companies provide a 60-day notice prior to plant closures. Following this rule would have required Natron to disrupt operations and harm its chances of securing funding from investors and customers, the company said in its letter. Sherwood Partners did not immediately respond to request for comment.
“Accordingly, Natron is providing this notice…as soon as practicable,” wrote Elizabeth Shober, Natron’s head of team and talent.
The closure is the latest among companies looking to manufacture batteries outside of Asia. In June, Oregon-based Powin filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and, more recently, sold its assets to FlexGen Power Systems. Sweden-based Northvolt also filed for bankruptcy earlier this year in its home country, citing rising capital costs, geopolitical instability and supply chain disruptions. Several of its assets have since been sold to California-based, lithium-sulfur battery maker Lyten.
Tertiary businesses are also being affected. A Toronto-based, lithium-ion battery recycler, Li-Cycle, recently sold its assets to Glencore via bankruptcy auction after struggling to drum up capital last year.
Construction Dive
mixed-use
09 September 20252 min readSodium-Ion Battery Maker Natron Energy Shuts Down, Halts $1.4B Factory Plans
Construction Dive
09 September 2025
mixed-use
Mozambique Embraces A $6 Billion Electricity ProjectSIDUAVA, Mozambique (AP) — Hermínio Guambe used to cut hair in a tiny barbershop with no electricity in his village outside Mozambique’s capital. The arrival of power changed everything.
The 48-year-old now uses hair dryers. The village pharmacy stocks vital medicines requiring refrigeration. More jobs were created as trading and transport picked up.
“These are the kinds of businesses that drive economies,” World Bank President Ajay Banga said in an interview with The Associated Press during a July visit to tour electrification projects and meet entrepreneurs like Guambe. “Electricity isn’t just light, it’s a chance.”
Mozambique has won World Bank backing for the $6 billion Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric plant, southern Africa’s biggest such project in 50 years.
Mozambique, one of the world’s poorest countries by per capita income, aims to connect all of its 33 million mostly rural citizens to electricity by 2030, largely through renewable energy from hydroelectric, solar and other sources.
Challenge similar in much of sub-Saharan Africa
The challenge is similar in much of sub-Saharan Africa, home to 85% of the global population living without power, according to the World Bank.
Electricity access in Mozambique has nearly doubled from 31% in 2018 to 60% in 2024. The state-run energy supplier Electricidade de Moçambique, or EDM, says it connected 563,000 homes in 2024 and plans to reach 600,000 this year.
“Mozambique has the resources, gas, hydro, solar, and it’s already the biggest supplier of excess power to southern Africa,” Banga said.
His visit came with fanfare, and political undertones. President Daniel Chapo, who took office after a disputed 2024 election, raised his fist to cheering crowds.
Located 60 kilometers (37 miles) downstream from the even larger Cahora Bassa hydroelectric dam along the Zambezi river, the Mphanda Nkuwa plant is expected to generate 1,500 megawatts when it begins operations in 2031. That will help a region facing a 10,000-megawatt deficit that keeps millions from accessing power.
The World Bank is not financing the project outright.
Global energy firm TotalEnergies, French utility Électricité de France and Mozambique’s Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa will develop the plant. The World Bank is providing a mix of support including concessional funding for legal and environmental issues and transmission lines, partial risk guarantees and political risk insurance.
Banga said this approach in Africa aims to move away from reliance on donors for high-impact projects. It coincided with a global shift in development funding. With the Trump administration dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, multilateral lenders like the World Bank are stepping in, often emphasizing private sector–led growth.
“Many shareholders, even in Europe, are reducing their overseas development assistance budgets because they have to divert the money to defense and their own needs. This is the way it is,” Banga said.
New dams are rising but Africa's waters are mostly untapped
Mphanda Nkuwa could also help Mozambique earn critical foreign exchange through exports of electricity to neighbors like South Africa and Zimbabwe. It is among several large hydropower projects aiming to reshape Africa’s energy future.
Ethiopia is preparing to inaugurate its $4 billion Grand Renaissance Dam, which will eventually generate over 5,000 megawatts, doubling the nation’s power output despite fierce opposition from Egypt. In Congo, the World Bank is backing the huge Inga 3 project that could also send electricity to South Africa, Nigeria and others.
Yet hydropower — the world’s largest source of renewable electricity — remains mostly untapped in Africa, with the World Bank and the International Hydropower Association estimating around 90% of capacity is still unused.
And building a mega-dam is only part of the challenge in Mozambique.
“Our country is quite big, and it’s not so easy to go everywhere with the national grid,” said EDM chairman Joaquim Ou-Chim. “So it’s off-grid solutions, mainly driven by solar.”
About 10% of electricity access in Mozambique comes from off-grid projects, and more are being rolled out.
Concerns over the financial aspect
Evaristo Cumbane, an energy consultant based in Maputo, said large projects like Cahora Bassa and Mphanda Nkuwa are important but stressed the need for smaller, local sources of energy.
“We are talking about plenty of rivers, plenty of sunshine, plenty of wind, plenty of coastlines,” he said, adding that “the real Mozambique is in rural, remote areas.”
Cumbane also urged caution over Mozambique’s growing debt burden. Public debt rose to about $17 billion in the first quarter of 2025. A record $2.1 billion was spent in 2023 in debt service, according to the Finance Ministry.
“The World Bank is not a godfather, it is not god. The guy is here on business. These are not donations,” he said.
It was not clear how much new debt is involved in the Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric project. Banga said the project’s final cost is yet to be determined but estimated $5 billion to $6 billion.
Mozambique’s path has been complicated. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1975, it has seen civil war, flare-ups of fighting following a peace deal and an ongoing Islamist insurgency in the north that forced TotalEnergies to halt a $20 billion gas project, though it hopes to restart operations.
But for Mozambicans, Guambe’s buzzing barbershop is proof of what’s possible when power reaches the people.
In another impoverished neighborhood outside Maputo visited by Banga, 38-year-old Aurélio Arlindo has been unemployed for years and lives without electricity. But new power poles signal hope.
“It’s really coming. I am just waiting,” he said, and he hopes to open a cold drinks stall.
Manufacturing Net
factory
08 September 20255 min readMozambique Embraces A $6 Billion Electricity Project
Manufacturing Net
08 September 2025
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Musk'S Spacex Spends $17 Billion To Acquire Spectrum Licenses From EchostarElon Musk's SpaceX has reached a deal worth about $17 billion with EchoStar for spectrum licenses that it will use to beef up its Starlink satellite network.
The deal for EchoStar's AWS-4 and H-block spectrum licenses includes up to $8.5 billion in cash and up to $8.5 billion in SpaceX stock. SpaceX will make approximately $2 billion in cash interest payments on EchoStar debt through November 2027.
SpaceX and EchoStar will enter into a long-term commercial agreement which will allow EchoStar's Boost Mobile subscribers to access SpaceX's next generation Starlink Direct to Cell service.
Shares of EchoStar surged 19% before the market opened Monday.
Last month AT&T said that it will spend $23 billion to acquire wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar, a significant expansion of its low- and mid-band coverage networks.
EchoStar said that it anticipates that the AT&T deal and the SpaceX transaction will resolve recent inquiries from the Federal Communications Commission about the rollout of 5G technology in the U.S. The FCC had been calling for hearings on whether Echostar was properly using the spectrum that it is now selling, and its efforts to make 5G more available to communities.
EchoStar said Monday that it will use the proceeds from the sale partly to pay down debt. Current operations of Dish TV, Sling and Hughes will not be impacted, the company said.
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08 September 20252 min readMusk'S Spacex Spends $17 Billion To Acquire Spectrum Licenses From Echostar
Manufacturing Net
08 September 2025
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